The agreement announced Tuesday between New York state and the St. Regis Mohawk tribe over sharing revenue from its casino operations at Akwesasne leaves several issues unresolved and raises questions that have yet to be answered. In their pact, the Mohawks agreed to pay the state $30 million of the $59 million owed under the terms of their original gaming compact. The Mohawks have been withholding the state’s 25 percent share of slot machine revenue since 2010 because the state has tolerated an illegal casino operation by the Ganienkeh Mohawks in Altona. That is contrary to the St. Regis Mohawks’ exclusive right to operate a casino within an eight-county region in Northern New York. The remaining $29 million due the state will be placed in escrow pending resolution of the tribe’s land claims that have been in the courts for more than 30 years. Negotiations are suppose to begin soon but will be complicated by the tribe’s pursuit of free SUNY tuition for tribe members, a $2 million annual payment from the New York Power Authority for the next 35 years and 9 megawatts of low-cost NYPA power.Get the Story:
Editorial: Unsettled issues (The Watertown Daily Times 5/25)
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