Copyright © 2002 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

ONEIDA, NEW YORK - Danielle Shenandoah and her three children face the imminent demolition of their home in Oneida Territory near Syracuse, NY. Shenandoah is one of nine families engaged in a long-standing struggle to keep thirty-two acres of traditional Oneida homeland from falling under the control of corrupt tribal leader Ray Halbritter (See Background.) Halbritter has already managed to evict thirteen families from the land and destroy their homes.

Shenandoah and her supporters are asking CPT's constituency to contact New York State senators Hilary Clinton and Charles Schumer asking them to A) to affirm the civil rights, including the right to due process, of traditional Oneida by speaking out against their eviction and disenfranchisement and B) authorize an investigation into the corruption and abuses of power taking place under the Halbritter regime.

CPT constituents who have advocated for the civil and treaty rights of the Mi'kmaq in New Brunswick, the Caldwell First Nation in Ontario, the Lakota/Nakota/Dakota people in South Dakota, and Mayans in Chiapas, MX may also send a note to Halbritter saying that they are watching the situation and will speak out on the behalf of the traditional Iroquois as they have spoken out on the behalf of other First Nations people who have requested CPT's violence deterring presence when faced by governmental and paramilitary violence.

BACKGROUND
Since Ray Halbritter seized power of the Oneida Nation in the early 1990's, Oneida who wish to continue traditional Iroquois forms of government have found themselves increasingly under siege. Halbritter replaced the traditional clan mothers with his own supporters, installed a Men's Council whose power superseded the Clan Mothers and established a paramilitary non-Native police force to harass and dispossess Oneidas who have spoken out against his abuses of power.

Halbritter, who now refers to himself as the "CEO" of the Oneida people, consolidated his power by banning media coverage, meetings of more than five people and traditional ceremonies on Oneida Territory. He has also disenrolled the dissident Oneidas from the tribe, thus rendering them ineligible for federal assistance. Currently, under the guise of "beautification" Halbritter seeks to drive traditional Oneidas away by demolishing their homes.

Throughout this campaign of harassment the Oneida dissidents have repeatedly refused to respond to violence with violence and have instead sought to publicize the dictatorial powers that Halbritter has assumed. Since Halbritter has placed himself above both U.S. Federal Law and Iroquois law, the traditional Oneidas have no legal recourse.

Halbritter's forces have already evicted thirteen families by demolishing their homes. Oneida dissident Danielle Shenandoah was alerted that her home will be demolished some time before September 15 when local media called to ask her for a statement.

Because of the thirteen casinos and other moneymaking enterprises he owns, Halbritter is a multi-millionaire with tremendous resources at his disposal to maintain his hold on power. The traditional Oneida have only their commitment to remain on the thirty-two acres of homeland left to them, and nonviolent grassroots support to rely on.

CPTers Anne Herman (Binghamton, NY) and Kathleen Kern (Webster, NY) are currently at Shenandoah's home along with some other Oneida supporters from Albany. More CPTers plan to join the emergency team in the next few days. Herman was a part of a CPT delegation to the Oneida Nation in February 2002.

Related contact information:

The Honorable Hilary Rodham Clinton
United States Senate
476 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4451
General Fax: (202) 228-0282

The Honorable Charles Schumer
United States Senate
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-3201
Phone: 202-224-6542
Fax: 202-228-3027

Oneida Indian Nation of New York
New York Liaison Office
Ray Halbritter
P.O. Box 1, West Road
Oneida, NY 13421

For faxing, send to Ray Halbritter
c/o Turning Stone Casino 315-829-3141.