The challenge that the Cayuga have stated, that we must accept this proposal or else, is a blessing. The people of both counties must accept this challenge, for we have the recorded facts to beat this challenge in only the federal courts.

The Cayuga have stated many times that they will only obey a federal court decision.

Director James Cason made a serious mistake in stating the Cayuga are landless. It has been on record by Dr. Warren Hickman way back in 1999 in his booklet, “A Cayuga Chronicle” (It's on UCE Web site) stated on page 41 that the Cayuga had purchased part of the Seneca Cattaraugus reservation and that it was their reservation forever. They are not landless in New York state. This was never presented by Dr. Dresser in his meeting with Mr. Cason. May Mr. Cason be now corrected.

It doesn't matter if it is not a state-certified reservation. For it fulfills all the qualifications of a federal reservation. It has its own government and chiefs and it doesn't matter if the Seneca have jurisdiction over it as that doesn't change the fact that the Cayuga have had that reservation for over 100 years.

Judge McCurn ruled that out of state tribes have a legal right to their former reservation in New York state. Using Judge McCurn's logic, out of state tribes can claim their former land in New York state.

It is my sincere opinion that the Grand River Reservation in Canada was the only legal Cayuga tribe reservation from 1784 and for years after 1784 should be considered as land of the Cayuga by James Cason. While there, they stated for over 150 years that they wanted no land of the whites in New York state and this fact is stated in the Supreme Court briefs in Opposition on page 7.

James Cason should know that New York state is not the original homeland of the Cayugas. Judge Richard Arcara in the Grand Island case stated that all the Iroquois homeland was not New York state, that they were immigrants to New York state, the same as whites.

Harry Pettingill Jr.

Seneca Falls