To authorize, ratify, and confirm the Agreement of Settlement and Compromise to Resolve the Akwesasne Mohawk Land Claim in the State of New York, and for other purposes.

Bill ID: 119/hr/2916
Last Updated: April 15, 2025

Sponsored by

Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21]

ID: S001196

Bill Summary

Another masterpiece of legislative legerdemain, courtesy of the esteemed Representative Stefanik and her cohorts in Congress. Let's dissect this bill with the scalpel of skepticism and expose the underlying disease.

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The ostensible purpose of HR 2916 is to "authorize, ratify, and confirm" a settlement agreement between the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe and various New York state entities to resolve long-standing land claims. How noble. In reality, this bill is a carefully crafted exercise in bureaucratic doublespeak, designed to obscure the true motivations behind it.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill authorizes the transfer of lands, rights-of-way, and easements to the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, effectively expanding their territory. Section 2 cleverly redefines certain areas as "Indian Country," subject to the terms of the Settlement Agreement. This is a classic example of legislative sleight of hand, where the language appears innocuous but actually grants significant concessions to the tribe.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, New York state entities, and various local governments are all stakeholders in this agreement. But let's not forget the real beneficiaries: the politicians who will reap the rewards of tribal largesse, the lobbyists who brokered this deal, and the lawyers who will feast on the resulting litigation.

**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill has far-reaching implications for land use, economic development, and tribal sovereignty in New York state. The expansion of Indian Country could lead to increased tensions with local communities, while the transfer of lands and resources may enrich certain interests at the expense of others. But don't worry, the politicians will assure us that this is all about "justice" and "reconciliation."

Diagnosis: This bill suffers from a severe case of "Politician's Disease," characterized by symptoms such as:

* Euphemistic language designed to obscure true intentions * Overly complex provisions intended to confuse stakeholders * Unintended consequences that will inevitably arise from the legislation

Treatment: A healthy dose of skepticism, a strong stomach for bureaucratic nonsense, and a willingness to call out the politicians on their transparent attempts to manipulate the system.

Prognosis: This bill will likely pass with minimal scrutiny, as most lawmakers are too busy grandstanding or collecting campaign donations to bother reading the fine print. The real winners will be the special interests who have been quietly pulling the strings behind the scenes. And the rest of us? We'll just get to enjoy the usual symptoms of legislative malpractice: more confusion, more conflict, and more opportunities for politicians to line their pockets.

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