LAND BACK - Akwesasne Mohawk Plaintiffs Convene Land Claim Information Session

Many compelling discussions were had by Akwesasne community members on the Akwesasne Mohawk Land Claim Settlement. These sentiments set the stage for an evening of open dialogue over the final settlement of the 41-year-old land claim of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT), Mohawk Council of Akwesasne and the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs.

On Thursday, November 16, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe held its third community meeting of 2023 at the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort. Joining Tribal Council were officials from the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne and the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs, together they represent the Tri-Council in the land claim settlement.

Chief Beverly Cook opened the meeting, welcoming everyone, followed by roundtable introductions of members from the Tri-Council, with participating representatives from the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, and the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs, and a member of its legal counsel.

The Tribe presented an overview of the Claim, including the remaining actions or steps to be completed, and pertinent aspects of the settlement agreements. A copy of the presentation may be requested by visiting the Tribal Clerk's Office.

"We have worked very hard on this settlement and at presenting the facts and details amidst a lot of mis-information. As we have explained to our community members, there are a great many benefits from settling, primarily in increasing our land base," said Tribal Chief Beverly Cook.

Echoed throughout this process and to those in attendance at the latest meeting, "It has been our community's continuous desire and Tribal Council's commitment to reacquire Akwesasne's lands, and this kind of meaningful community engagement is just one more step towards final settlement. We hope that we can get all parties to approve and have a settlement submitted for Federal approval very soon," stated Tribal Chief Michael Conners.

The Tribe stated they have been consistently transparent about its preference to have a negotiated settlement for the land claim that benefits the people and the community's neighbors.

The "Akwesasne Mohawks Land Claim Information" was distributed by Tribal Council to members of Akwesasne, which included a chronology of Land Claim activity since 1982, along with over 30 frequently asked questions, and the Land Claim Maps of Areas A, B (Zones 1 and 2), C, D and total acreage to be reclaimed through a final settlement.

Tribal Chief Ronald LaFrance stated, "Many of our community members have worked hard over the years to reclaim this land, some of them are no longer with us. This has been a very long and passionate journey that appears to have a positive outcome."

Questions from the floor ranged from payments by the Tribe to the tuition benefit, County deeds v. Tribal use and occupancy, foreclosure and back taxes, consequences of not settling and being ordered back to court to resume litigation, FERC relicensing, power-megawatts, settling of the 1796 Treaty lands, right of first refusal for property not within the settlement, and impact of previous cases (City of Sherrill v. Oneida Indian Nation of New York) and other Haudenosaunee Land Claim outcomes, etc.

Chief Cook went on to explain that "[the Tribe is] still in court...[the Plaintiffs] can't get out of the lawsuit in court...It is better to settle to get the opportunity to get as much land back as we can. We and the Magistrate are still waiting for [other parties] to respond."

"It is not about [the money], it's about reacquiring land, to expand the reservation," stated Chief Michael Conners, added, "The money is irrelevant, compared to getting our land back, which was always the goal since the beginning."

At the close of the meeting, a community member stated, "This is the best it is ever going to get. We are actually winning, we're getting back the land that we sued for... we didn't sue for the Adirondacks, or the Mohawk Valley, or Ganienkeh. We sued for the 1796 Treaty lands and we are getting most of it back. I support you and please move ahead with this finally,"

The Tribal Council encourages members to review the "Akwesasne Mohawks Land Claim Information" by visiting http://www.srmt-nsn.gov and attend future sessions and Tribal Monthly meetings to receive the most up-to-date information.