AKWESASNE (WWTI) — The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe has reacquired a plot of land.

The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council has notified the community of a land purchase, in accordance with the Tribe’s Land Acquisition and Sales Policy, TCR 2009-71. This purchase entailed the reacquisition of 41.5 acres of 1796 Treaty Land.

This plot is located adjacent to the SRMT Transfer Station along State Route 37. According to the Council, this purchase supports efforts made by the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe to expand its land base in Northern New York, and regain all lands within the reservation’s exterior boundaries set aside by federal treaty in 1796. It was purchased for $166,000.

An aerial view of the land is featured below:

As required by the Land Acquisition and Sales Policy, notice of the intended purchase and comment period was provided. The Council confirmed that intent to purchase was provided at a Monthly Tribal Meeting on March 9, included in a meeting packet and made available on the Tribe’s Facebook page and members portal.

“The Tribe’s Land Acquisition Policy requires notification be provided of any proposed land purchase or
sale, which was done earlier this year. To provide added transparency, notification is also being provided
that the purchase was recently completed,” the Tribal Council said.

The Tribe moved forward with the purchase and reacquisition of the land for the Tribe’s benefit after no written comments were received prior to the deadline on March 19, 2021.

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 stated that it 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 or Town agree for land to be taken into trust.