Nation gets 13,000 acres of trust land
A deal between New York State and the Oneida Indian Nation that resolves disputes about land and tax matters has been approved by a federal judge.
U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence Kahn ratified the deal, which will jumpstart casino payments from the tribe’s Turning Stone resort to the state. The Oneidas will pay 25 percent of gaming revenues to the state in return for exclusive rights to gaming in a 10-county area. That could mean $50 million a year for the government in Albany.
The decision also means the Oneidas will get 13,000 acres of tax-exempt trust land and can add another 12,000 acres in Madison and Oneida counties, according to the Syracuse Post-Standard.
“We are pleased that the state of New York has become a formal partner in our continuing efforts to strengthen this region’s economy and that we have settled all of our legal disputes between our peoples once and for all,” said tribal spokesman Roy Halbritter. “This agreement is a product of the hard work of those like Governor Andrew Cuomo and county leaders who believed that we have far more to gain when we reject divisiveness and embrace a spirit of collaboration.”
