Mohawks to Sign Land Claim Settlement

ALBANY, New York – As reported by the Albany Times-Union: "The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe and Gov. George Pataki will sign a formal land claim settlement as early as Tuesday, making the tribe $100 million wealthier and moving it closer to creating a casino in the Catskills, tribal members and others close to the deal said.

"The settlement of a long-standing lawsuit frees land claimed by the Mohawks where the Power Authority of the State of New York operates the Franklin D. Roosevelt Power Project, one of the state's key hydroelectric plants.

"…The terms call for the tribe to receive $100 million -- $30 million from the state, which hopes to get half from the federal government, and $70 million from the Power Authority.

"…The settlement follows a series of agreements that Pataki arranged in recent months with various tribes, including a new pact proposed to end concerns about the Mohawks' refusal to collect state sales taxes. But unlike the other land-claim deals, the one expected to be signed this week is not linked to a casino compact being obtained for a Sullivan County casino, where the Mohawks and other tribes hope to build a Las Vegas-style gambling emporium. However, Pataki has said he would not grant casino compacts without land-claim settlements.

"…The Mohawks, who already operate a casino on their reservation, hope to sign a separate agreement with the state for a compact and have been working for several years to build a casino with partners Caesar's Entertainment at Kutsher's Resort in Monticello…"