The New York Court of Appeals says an 18-hole golf course owned and operated by the Seneca Nation of Indians is not part of the tribe’s reservation and therefore is not sovereign land. In a 4-3 vote, the court determined that the course is not protected from a pending lawsuit by tribal immunity. A contractor has sued the tribe, saying it owes .7 million in cost overages.
The Hickory Stick course was built in Lewiston as part of the Senecas’ casino in Niagara Falls. Contractor Sue/Perior Concrete & Paving says the past due amount is for overruns on a $12.7 million initial contract, reported the Associated Press.
