To authorize, ratify, and confirm the Agreement of Settlement and Compromise to Resolve the Akwesasne Mohawk Land Claim in the State of New York, and for other purposes.
To authorize, ratify, and confirm the Agreement of Settlement and Compromise to Resolve the Akwesasne Mohawk Land Claim in the State of New York, and for other purposes.
Plain Language Summary
# HR 2916: Akwesasne Mohawk Land Claim Settlement This bill would legally recognize and finalize a settlement agreement for a longstanding land dispute involving the Akwesasne Mohawk territory, which spans parts of northern New York, Ontario, and Quebec. The agreement was negotiated between the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, New York State, two counties, two towns, and the New York Power Authority. By passing this bill, Congress would officially authorize and confirm this compromise resolution to the land claim. The settlement includes several key provisions: it restores certain land rights and provides land access to the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe; it offers tuition assistance for tribal members attending select colleges and universities; and it requires the New York Power Authority to make annual payments to the tribe.
The bill also authorizes the transfer of specific lands, rights-of-way, and easements that were the subject of ongoing court cases, and designates certain areas as Indian country. **Current Status:** The bill has passed the House and is awaiting Senate action. It was sponsored by Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY).
CRS Official Summary
This bill recognizes and settles the Akwesasne land claim in northern New York. (Akwesasne is a Mohawk territory that extends into the United States and Canada, specifically New York, Ontario, and Quebec.)The bill authorizes, ratifies, and confirms a specified settlement agreement entered into by the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT), the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, the State of New York, Franklin and Saint Lawrence Counties in New York, the towns of Fort Covington and Bombay in New York, and the New York Power Authority. (Among its provisions, the settlement agreement restores land rights and provides access to land to SRMT, provides tuition assistance for tribal members to certain postsecondary institutions, and requires the New York Power Authority to make annual payments to SRMT.)Additionally, the bill authorizes, ratifies, and confirms any transfer of land, right-of-way, or easement that is the subject of claims in specified court cases.The bill also recognizes as Indian country any land owned or subsequently acquired by SRMT within the settlement acquisition areas. (The term Indian country, for purposes of criminal jurisdiction, generally refers to all lands within a tribal reservation, dependent Indian communities, and tribal allotments.)
Latest Action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.