Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - Members of the Onondaga Indian Nation and supportive neighbors gathered in Syracuse's Clinton Square Thursday night with candles and signs. They held a vigil to demonstrate dissatisfaction with a federal judge's decision to throw out the Nation's lawsuit against the State of New York.
The Onondaga Nation's lawsuit was an attempt to reclaim lands they say the State illegally took from them during the 1700 and 1800s. The judge ruled that the Nation didn't file their suit soon enough, however, and that it would therefore have been a burden to landowners.
Andy Mager, an organizer for Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation, says the demonstration was about unhappiness with the decision. "There's a lot of working together and I think most people in Central New York understand that and see the Onondagas as good neighbors. So, it's just a shame that the court system is not willing to willing to address the injustices that occurred," he said.
Similar suits filed by the Cayuga and Oneida Nations were also recently dismissed. The Onondagas say they plan to appeal.
