Feds put 18 acres into trust for Oneida Indian Nation

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Story Created: Jan 7, 2009 at 3:26 PM EST

Story Updated: Jan 7, 2009 at 10:46 PM EST

VERONA, N.Y. (AP) - The federal government has quietly placed 18 acres of central New York land into tax-exempt trust for the Oneida Indian Nation.

The action by the U.S. Department of Interior comes even as the trust status of more than 17,000 acres elsewhere in Oneida and Madison counties remains mired in lawsuits.

The land was formerly part of a 513-acre U.S. Air Force research
complex in Verona. Built in the 1950s as a testing site for the now
defunct Griffiss Air Force Base, the complex has been mothballed for years.

The Oneidas praised the decision, saying it could open the door to getting the larger amount of land placed into trust. Opponents of the broader trust effort vowed to fight the decision.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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