AKWESASNE, NY – In accordance with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s (SRMT) Land Acquisition and Sales Policy (TCR 2009-71), the Tribal Council has provided notification of a land purchase. The purchase entailed reacquiring 41.5 acres of 1796 Treaty Land that is located adjacent to the SRMT Transfer Station along State Route 37 for the amount of $166,000.00.
Notice of the intended purchase and comment period was provided, as required by TCR 2009-71. The intent to purchase was provided at the Monthly Tribal Meeting on March 9, 2021.
“The Tribe’s Land Acquisition Policy requires notification be provided of any proposed land purchase or sale, which was done earlier this year,” the Tribal Council said. “To provide added transparency, notification is also being provided that the purchase was recently completed.”
The purchase supports tribal efforts to expand the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s land base and regain all lands within the reservation’s exterior boundaries as set aside by federal treaty in 1796. The Tribal Council added, “In the absence of a land claim settlement agreement, the tribe may apply to have the land taken into federal trust for exercising tribal jurisdiction and authority in a manner that preserves and promotes the long-term interest of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe.”
The 39-acre parcel located adjacent to the recently reacquired lands houses the tribe’s Transfer Station that was taken into trust in 2014. The tribe may follow the same federal process for the 41.5 acres, which provides a comment period for individuals and local governments, but does not require that the County (Franklin) or Town (Fort Covington) agree for land to be taken into trust.
The tribe plans to utilize the reacquired lands for the benefit of tribal members, which may include establishing a business park and/or using the land for single-family homes.
