WASHINGTON, March 29 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-1 Tuesday the Oneida Indians cannot claim sovereignty over a New York city and escape property taxes.
The Oneida Indian Nation bought property in Sherrill, N.Y., in 1997 that was once part of a 300,000-acre reservation last possessed by the nation in 1805.
In 1985, the Supreme Court ruled the Oneida could sue for damages against Oneida County for wrongful possession of lands conveyed to the state in 1795 in violation of U.S. law. White settlers had deprived the Oneida of almost all their land by the 1920s.
In the current case, the Oneida contend the regulating authority for property taxes no longer resides in Sherrill.
The lower courts agreed with the Oneida, but the Supreme Court reversed, saying the nation could not unilaterally revive its ancient sovereignty.
The justices sent the case back down to the lower court for a rehearing and a decision based on Tuesday's majority opinion.
