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Lawsuits challenge Oneida Nation land-into-trust
Friday, June 20, 2008
Filed Under: Law | Trust

Four lawsuits were filed against the Interior Department this week over the Oneida Nation's land-into-trust application.

Three lawsuits were filed in the same federal court in upstate New York. One was filed in Washington, D.C., and an attorney involved believes all four will eventually be consolidated.

As for the New York lawsuits, the state and two counties filed one of them. Two towns filed another and the third was filed by Upstate Citizens for Equality.

The Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians in Wisconsin filed the one in DC.

The lawsuits make two main arguments: the land-into-trust provisions of the Indian Reorganization Act are unconstitutional and Interior's decision was arbitrary and capricious.

Get the Story:
Grouping of trust suits likely (The Syracuse Post-Standard 6/20)
Governor Paterson and Attorney General look to overturn Land into Trust decision (WKTV 6/19)

Relevant Documents:
Record of Decision | Final EIS (March 2008) | Draft EIS (November 2006)

From the Indianz.Com Archive:
BIA official calls high court ruling 'quite depressing' (March 31, 2005)
Major defeat for Oneida Nation in Supreme Court case (March 30, 2005)

Relevant Links:
Indian Nation Fee-to-Trust Land Acquisition Applications in New York State - http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/888.html
Oneida Indian Nation's Land Into Trust Application, Madison County - http://www.madisoncounty.org/motf/OINTrustMain.html

Sherrill v. Oneida Nation Decision:
Syllabus | Opinion [Ginsburg] | Concurrence [Souter] | Dissent [Stevens]

Related Stories:
First lawsuits filed over Oneida land-into-trust (6/18)
Deadline this week on Oneida land-into-trust (6/16)
Lawsuits mount over Oneida land-into-trust (6/12)
New York to sue over Oneida Nation land-into-trust (6/11)
Lawsuits over Oneida land-into-trust in the works (6/6)
Rep. Arcuri: Negotiate Oneida Nation land claim (6/6)
2nd Circuit hears Oneida land claim appeals (6/4)
2nd Circuit to hear appeals of Oneida land claim (6/2)
Oneida employees pleased by land-into-trust ruling (5/28)
Editorial: Fight Oneida land-into-trust decision (5/26)
New York governor criticizes Oneida decision (5/23)
Lawsuits awaited over Oneida land-into-trust (5/22)
Oneida Nation wins approval of land-into-trust application (05/21)
Editorial: Regulate Oneida Nation trust lands (5/16)
Editorial: Clarity on Oneida Nation land-into-trust (5/8)
Interior delays decision on Oneida land-into-trust (5/7)
Sen. Schumer seeks delay on Oneida land-into-trust (5/6)
Editorial: Questions on Oneida Nation land-into-trust (5/1)
Decision on Oneida land-into-trust due this week (4/28)
Wisconsin tribe objects to Oneida land-into-trust (4/25)
Rep. Acuri: Explaining Oneida land-into-trust rider (4/10)
Rep. Arcuri tried to block Oneida land-into-trust (4/9)
Cason 'elusive' on Oneida Nation decision (4/4)
BIA still reviewing Oneida Nation land-into-trust (3/31)
Oneida Nation, county meet for first time in years (3/28)
Oneida Nation asks BIA for all 17,000 acres in trust (3/25)
County discusses Oneida Nation land-into-trust (03/07)
Cason to follow through on Oneida land-into-trust (2/25)
BIA to rule on Oneida trust lands request (2/22)
Cason to brief counties on Oneida land-into-trust (2/22)

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