St. Regis Mohawks reach accord on buying land

MICHAEL VIRTANEN

ALBANY - The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe has reached agreement with the state and St. Lawrence County to buy land from willing sellers in northern New York to add to its territory, officials say.

A memorandum signed Wednesday outlines a final settlement that Chief Beverly Cook of the Tribal Council says the tribe has been working toward for 32 years, building on the work of past leaders.

"We remain committed to a negotiated settlement that benefits our Mohawk people and our neighbors," she said.

The agreement would allow the purchase of about 3,440 acres in the town of Brasher and about 1,360 acres in the town of Massena to return the properties to the tribe's territory along the Canadian border. In exchange, municipalities would get payments from the state covering lost property taxes.

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