Editorial: Neighbors, Oneidas need truce for growth
Feb 15, 2005

Observer-Dispatch

The Oneida Indian Nation has become our region's strongest force for employment growth, and it is here to stay.

Neighbors, government leaders and even Nation opponents need to understand this. For our entire region to move forward, it's time to build a stronger relationship with the people who have created some 4,250 jobs over the past 12 years and whose attractions provide entertainment and recreational opportunities for many local residents.

Tension has existed for some time. And no wonder. For starters, the Oneidas lost their land in the late 1700s and 1800s in a series of treaties and other events. In 1985, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Oneidas were entitled to compensation for their losses, but unraveling that land-claim case has tended to cause only more disputes in the ensuing two decades.

Current residents of private land in western Oneida County and northern Madison County fear the claim has devalued their own properties. They are also uncomfortable with the changing economic picture around them, which involves the Oneidas running a giant, tax-free enterprise while the rest of the local economy struggles.

Discord reached a fever pitch six years ago after the Oneidas sought to sue 20,000 individual landowners in their claim case. This led to protests and a large amount of anti-Nation rhetoric in our region. Not all of the sentiments were appropriate, and some were clearly racist. But the sense of anger among neighbors was understandable.

Time has gone by, however, and it's time for a renewed focus on developing stronger relations. It's not enough anymore to simply rail against the Nation. What does this truly accomplish? Even as some people complain, their neighbors are either working at Turning Stone or gambling, eating or golfing there.

The Nation's enterprises are a fact of life, and in many ways a net plus for our region. Gambling can be destructive for some, but the full Turning Stone resort represents a picture that benefits life here.

That's why neighbors and local government need to engage the Nation in ways that improve our communities. Oneida Mayor Leo Matzke recognizes this, which is why his city is developing a positive relation with the Oneidas. Even Verona Town Supervisor David Reed, a longtime opponent of the Nation's tax-free status, has come around, realizing it's for the greater good of his town.

Local communities need to ensure they don't simply become "yes men" to the Oneidas in exchange for boatloads of money. But constructive engagement is needed.

It's time for more effective problem solving on issues ranging from taxes to western Oneida County's water supply. If neighbors are talking to each other, that demonstrates mutual respect, which is exactly what's been missing too often in recent years.

The Nation itself, too, must make some changes. Consciously or not, it sends an "our way or the highway" message to residents, other governments and sometimes its own people. This smacks of an insecurity born out of centuries of oppression, an insecurity the Nation needs to outgrow.

The New York Oneidas are a success, and they must exude the graciousness that should naturally come from such progress. Settlement of the land claim, solutions to tax issues and greater cooperation with those around it would be a recipe for long-term peace and success benefiting both the Oneidas, their neighbors and the region's future.