Law
Cayuga Nation seeks BIA protection for lands


The Cayuga Nation of New York has asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs to protect the tribe's newly acquired lands from state and local laws.

The tribe wants properties it purchased in its land claim area taken into trust. Alternatively, the tribe wants the lands designed as "restricted fee."

The tribe cited the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the Oneida Nation case that held that the Oneida Nation could not "unilaterally" assert sovereignty over its land claim area. The court said the tribe must go through the land-into-trust process.

Get the Story:
Cayugas Pursue Tax-Free Status (The Syracuse Post-Standard 4/15)
Cayuga Nation seeks sovereign status for properties (The Finger Lake Times 4/15)

Get the Decision:
Syllabus | Opinion [Ginsburg] | Concurrence [Souter] | Dissent [Stevens]

Relevant Links:
Oneida Nation - http://www.oneida-nation.net
NARF-NCAI Tribal Supreme Court Project - http://doc.narf.org/sc/index.html

Decision in Oneida Indian Nation v. City of Sherrill:
Majority Opinion | Van Graafeiland Dissent

Decision in Cayuga Indian Nation v. Village of Union Springs:
Decision | Order (April 23, 2004)

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