Onondaga Nation won't pay taxes on 157 acres

Monday, December 3, 2007  

The Onondaga Nation of New York says it won't pay property taxes on 157 acres it recently purchased.

An attorney said the land falls within the tribe's ancestral reservation. "This is Onondaga land that was taken from them illegally. It's Onondaga land now. It's not taxable," attorney Joseph Heath told The Syracuse Post-Standard.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that tribes can't claim sovereign rights on ancestral properties without going through the land-into-trust process. But a federal judge said local governments in New York can't foreclose on tribes due to sovereign immunity.

The foreclosure case is currently before the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. It could determine whether the Onondagas have to pay taxes on its new purchase.

Get the Story:
Tribe takes 157 acres off tax roll (The Syracuse Post-Standard 12/1)

Relevant Links:
Onondaga Nation - http://www.onondaganation.org

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