By Elizabeth Christensen
New York State – The Cayuga Indian Nation has purchased two parcels of land in Union Springs.
The acreage will house a gas station and carwash. The Cayugas will operate the convenience store under the name "Lakeside Trading."
It's the first step in the Cayuga's plan to reclaim parts of their ancestral land.
The tribe is currently landless. It's members generally reside on other Native reservations across the state.
Heron clan representative Clint Halftown says the recent land purchase will allow the tribe to become as economically self-sufficient as other tribes in the area.
In other land claim related news, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the Marble Hill Oneidas are not a federally-recognized group. They will not be allowed the join the Oneida Nation of New York in their 250-thousand acre land claim auit.