The Cayuga Indian Nation of New York has purchased 181 acres of farmland in Seneca Falls and is closing on more acreage in Cayuga County.
Dan French, an attorney for the Cayugas, said the tribe would announce Friday or Monday the location of its new property in Cayuga County.
Cayuga County Legislature Chairman George Fearon, R-Springport, said he had not heard of the tribe buying more Cayuga County land.
The Seneca County property sits on three taxable parcels behind the residences on the north side of East Bayard Street Extension, which runs west to east near New York Chiropractic College.
The tribe already owns land on Route 89 in Seneca Falls that is home to its convenience store and gas station, as well as its shuttered bingo hall.
The tribe now owns 195 acres in Seneca County and 163 acres in Cayuga County.
Applications to have the federal government take the new land into sovereign trust status on behalf of the Cayugas will be filed within the week, French said.
“They're just trying to pressure us into approving the settlement,” said Peter Same, Seneca Falls town supervisor. “Why are they pushing us toward a settlement if they feel this land is going to be placed in trust anyway? ... They're not totally convinced the (Bureau of Indian Affairs) will take their land into trust.”
Same is skeptical of a proposed settlement with the Cayugas in which the Cayugas would gain a state gaming compact for a massive casino in New York in exchange for the extinguishment of their reservation, payments to Cayuga and Seneca counties based on their casino revenue and limiting their sovereign holdings to 10,000 acres and making up no more than 20-percent of any municipalities.
The purchase of the Seneca Falls property has been in the works for months and its timing has nothing to do with the proposed settlement, French said in an interview.
“Absent an agreement with the counties, the Nation is free to put the entire 64,015 acres of its claim area into trust,” French said in a release.
“The Nation has been willing to forego this trust process and place a lower limit on its sovereign land if an agreement within the counties can be reached.”
“In terms of timing ... unfortunately, I believe many of the Seneca County officials may see this as bad faith on the Cayugas part that they have announced such a large land purchase before the county has fully considered or voted on accepting the compromise proposal,” said Steven Getman, the Seneca County attorney.
French said the Cayugas also have been approached by sellers of other parcels in Cayuga and Seneca counties.
The proposed agreement is slated to be taken up by the Seneca County Native American Affairs Committee and the full Cayuga County Legislature Tuesday, June 26.
Staff writer Amaris Elliott-Engel can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or at amaris.elliot-engel@lee.net
Cayuga County Legislature Chairman George Fearon, R-Springport, said he had not heard of the tribe buying more Cayuga County land.
The Seneca County property sits on three taxable parcels behind the residences on the north side of East Bayard Street Extension, which runs west to east near New York Chiropractic College.
The tribe already owns land on Route 89 in Seneca Falls that is home to its convenience store and gas station, as well as its shuttered bingo hall.
The tribe now owns 195 acres in Seneca County and 163 acres in Cayuga County.
Applications to have the federal government take the new land into sovereign trust status on behalf of the Cayugas will be filed within the week, French said.
“They're just trying to pressure us into approving the settlement,” said Peter Same, Seneca Falls town supervisor. “Why are they pushing us toward a settlement if they feel this land is going to be placed in trust anyway? ... They're not totally convinced the (Bureau of Indian Affairs) will take their land into trust.”
Same is skeptical of a proposed settlement with the Cayugas in which the Cayugas would gain a state gaming compact for a massive casino in New York in exchange for the extinguishment of their reservation, payments to Cayuga and Seneca counties based on their casino revenue and limiting their sovereign holdings to 10,000 acres and making up no more than 20-percent of any municipalities.
The purchase of the Seneca Falls property has been in the works for months and its timing has nothing to do with the proposed settlement, French said in an interview.
“Absent an agreement with the counties, the Nation is free to put the entire 64,015 acres of its claim area into trust,” French said in a release.
“The Nation has been willing to forego this trust process and place a lower limit on its sovereign land if an agreement within the counties can be reached.”
“In terms of timing ... unfortunately, I believe many of the Seneca County officials may see this as bad faith on the Cayugas part that they have announced such a large land purchase before the county has fully considered or voted on accepting the compromise proposal,” said Steven Getman, the Seneca County attorney.
French said the Cayugas also have been approached by sellers of other parcels in Cayuga and Seneca counties.
The proposed agreement is slated to be taken up by the Seneca County Native American Affairs Committee and the full Cayuga County Legislature Tuesday, June 26.
Staff writer Amaris Elliott-Engel can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or at amaris.elliot-engel@lee.net
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