These two groups have been fighting for years. Last year it was burning cars and a gunfight, now wholesale destruction. http://fingerlakes1.com/2020/02/22/...ings-in-seneca-falls-leveled-overnight-photo/
OMG!!!! What on earth is happening there? I obviously don't know the history, and I have no idea if those houses are in an illegal place hence the demolition, or which side is actually in the wrong.. but despite the politics...who on earth has given permission for houses with small children living in them in the snows of winter to be demolished?>..
This is an internal struggle for leadership in the Cayuga Nation. They have land "In Trust" kind of a legal limbo, not reservation but maybe in the future. They bought property within the boundaries and have started a few enterprises, chief among them a tax-free cigarette shop. They also had a seasonal Ice Cream Parlor, and 87 octane gas free of 14cents state tax, A pretty lucrative prize in anyone's eyes. One faction is the federally recognized leader. The other calls themselves the "Traditionals" claiming to hold to the traditional ways. The smoke shop and gas station opened up about ten years ago by the official tribe. 5/6 years ago the traditionals took the property at gunpoint. They found a judge to sit on everything. Two or three years ago there was another confrontation there were shots fired and a couple of cars burnt. This is just the latest of their antics.
It sounds like the wild west...... The point is what can be done about it, surely something... .... ?
Sadly, I’m not sure that much of anything can be done. Each tribe is a sovereign nation and the reservation is a nation within the U.S. In one way, it’s kind of like a foreign embassy sitting in the U.S. The problem, I believe, is the fact that the reservations are pretty much a socialist type of government. No land can be owned by an individual or group and whatever happens on the land has to be approved by the sitting council of that nation. Moreover, if the council does agree to a money making enterprise, the profits have to be shared among the nation or at the very least, pointed in the direction of some improvement on the reservation. Now, if there is some problem that cannot be handled by the nation itself, then the Dept. of Indian affairs of the Dept. of Interior does have some say in the matter but to what degree I do not know. I do know that if there is some civil discourse, internal struggles or even a crime that has been committed on the reservation, that each tribe has it’s own court system and the U.S. government keeps it’s nose out of it unless of course, it cannot be handled on that level.
Another article on the troubles. This explains a bit if any are interested. http://fingerlakes1.com/2020/02/24/...on-at-cayuga-nation-property-in-seneca-falls/
The saga contiues https://auburnpub.com/news/local/ca...sAaVaSx2NAssJDGslgs2-7RsbDiaApbeqgHcEmRDqsRC0
Only reason I really give a hoot, is that this is not a recognized reservation. This land was claimed by the natives, the feds agreed to put this land in trust,until such a point when a final decision is granted. (Been 40 years). There are no reservation boundaries, just land that the natives have bought and paid for. Trouble is ,is that these parcels are interspersed around the community, and Non natives have to put up with these ghetto antics in their front yards. Local and state police will only observe but not interfere in any way.