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JULY 19, 2000

The Cayuga Nation land claim might end up costing the state of New York $1.7 billion, according to tribal esimates.

The Department of Justice, who are suing the state on behalf of the tribe, has calculated the claim at $500 to $600 million.

The estimates are part of the final phase of the Cayuga land claims case before US District Court Judge Neal P. McCurn. McCurn must decide how much interest, if any, to award the tribe.

A jury in February decided the land was worth $36.9 million. Peter M Whiteley, an anthropology professor at Sarah Lawrence College, testified on behalf of the federal government that the state owes more to the Cayuga Nation, due to its unfair treatment of the tribe since the 18th century.

The Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy is among the supporters of the Cayuga Nation. The League of the Haudenosaunee announced last week they support any land claims made by the Cayuga, Seneca, Oneida, Mohawk, Onondaga, and Tuscarora Nations.

Get the Story:
History debated in Cayuga land claim (The Albany Times-Union 7/19)
(The Syracuse Newspapers 7/19)
Iroquois leaders will support nations' land claims (AP 7/14)

Related Stories:
Expert says Cayuga treated unfairly (Tribal Law 7/18)
Witness allowed to testify against Cayuga (Tribal Law 07/12)