Indianz.Com > News > Oneida employees pleased by land-into-trust ruling

Oneida employees pleased by land-into-trust ruling
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Filed Under: Business | Trust

Employees of the Oneida Nation of New York say they can rest east knowing the tribe's land-into-trust application was approved.

With over 5,000 employees, the tribe is among the largest employers in the area.. But some of those jobs were at risk if the tribe were forced to pay property taxes and comply with local laws.

“I can keep my job along with 5,000 other people,” Paula Eddy, a gaming employee, told The Utica Observer-Dispatch . “If I didn’t have my job, I’d have to move out of the area and leave my family behind.”

The decision, however, faces numerous legal challenges. Opposing groups have until late June to file lawsuits.

Get the Story:
Nation employees see bright future (The Utica Observer-Dispatch 5/28)

Relevant Documents:
Record of Decision | Final EIS (March 2008) | Draft EIS (November 2006)

From the Indianz.Com Archive:
BIA official calls high court ruling 'quite depressing' (March 31, 2005)
Major defeat for Oneida Nation in Supreme Court case (March 30, 2005)

Relevant Links:

Indian Nation Fee-to-Trust Land Acquisition Applications in New York State - http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/888.html
Oneida Indian Nation's Land Into Trust Application, Madison County - http://www.madisoncounty.org/motf/OINTrustMain.html

Sherrill v. Oneida Nation Decision:
Syllabus | Opinion [Ginsburg] | Concurrence [Souter] | Dissent [Stevens]