Copyright © 2002 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

ONEIDA, NEW YORK - Only thirty-two acres of an original six million acres are still an undisputed part of the Oneida Nation, a member of the Six Nation Iroquois Confederacy. In 1961 two Oneida sisters moved onto this tract of wooded land to maintain it as traditional Oneida land. Through the persistence of two earlier Oneida matriarchs, a land claim for 250,000 acres is winding its way through the courts.

Across this continent non-traditional native peoples are trading their land claims for casino licensing. Millions of dollars have flowed into tribal coffers from casinos, even though, as Diane Shenandoah, faith keeper of the Wolf Clan of the Oneida, says, "Our spiritual tradition does not condone gaming."

Ray Halbritter was selected by the Wolf Clan mother to be the temporary eyes and ears of the clan to the larger Six Nation Iroquois Confederacy while permanent chiefs were being prepared. He was sent by the nation to Harvard and then sought recognition by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to be THE tribal representative to the BIA.

A talented individual, Halbritter has attracted government funding for a health center, put up a casino under corporate name "Oneida Indian Nation of New York, Inc.," bought 14,000 acres of surrounding land, and developed a government that bypassed the Iroquois Grand Council of Chiefs and the clan mothers. He was removed from any position of responsibility by the Council and the clan motheres in 1995 because of abuse of his position. This time, the BIA refused to recognize the decision of the Oneida.

Last year new Oneida "government" laws were declared and health inspectors came to homes on the thirty-two acres. Halbritter's crews inspected eleven family-owned homes, removed the families to rental housing owned by Halbritter and demolished the homes.

Then on November 16, 2001, twenty-two non-native, armed police officers hired by Halritter came to the home of single parent Danielle Shenandoah for an inspection. After arresting her because of her protests, officers pried open a door and found "irreparable problems." Those problems have already been repaired, but Shenandoah told CPTers "The decision to demolish was made before the inspection."

The CPT presence of Rod Orr, Anne Herman and Cliff Kindy has been part of a regular flow of observers into the community since then. Halbritter's personal court has ruled there will be no appeals and has indicated that the rest of the families on the thirty-two acres face the same prospect of home demolitions.