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By William Kates
Verona, New York (AP)
The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling Feb. 24 that a Rhode Island tribe isn't eligible for trust land could doom the Oneida Indian Nation's pending trust request, said a lawyer for two upstate New York counties fighting the application.
The Supreme Court decision hinged on whether trust land was available to a tribe that was not formally recognized by the United States in 1934, when the trust law was enacted. The court ruled that a tribe not recognized in June 1934 was not eligible, and the Narragansett tribe was not recognized until after that date.
Verona, New York (AP)
The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling Feb. 24 that a Rhode Island tribe isn't eligible for trust land could doom the Oneida Indian Nation's pending trust request, said a lawyer for two upstate New York counties fighting the application.
The Supreme Court decision hinged on whether trust land was available to a tribe that was not formally recognized by the United States in 1934, when the trust law was enacted. The court ruled that a tribe not recognized in June 1934 was not eligible, and the Narragansett tribe was not recognized until after that date.
