H.R. 2916 · Passed House · Native Americans

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.

What it does

Authorize and ratify a settlement agreement between the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, and New York state and local governments to resolve historical land claims.
Restore land rights to the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe and provide access to land within specified settlement acquisition areas.
Require the New York Power Authority to make annual payments to the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe as part of the settlement.
Recognize land owned or acquired by the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe within settlement areas as Indian country for purposes of criminal jurisdiction.

Official summary

This bill recognizes and settles the Akwesasne land claim in northern New York. (Akwesasne is a Mohawk territory that extends into the United States and Canada, specifically New York, Ontario, and Quebec.) The bill authorizes, ratifies, and confirms a specified settlement agreement entered into by the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT), the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, the State of New York, Franklin and Saint Lawrence Counties in New York, the towns of Fort Covington and Bombay in New York, and the New York Power Authority. (Among its provisions, the settlement agreement restores land rights and provides access to land to SRMT, provides tuition assistance for tribal members to certain postsecondary institutions, and requires the New York Power Authority to make annual payments to SRMT.) Additionally, the bill authorizes, ratifies, and confirms any transfer of land, right-of-way, or easement that is the subject of claims in specified court cases. The bill also recognizes as Indian country any land owned or subsequently acquired by SRMT within the settlement acquisition areas. (The term Indian country , for purposes of criminal jurisdiction, generally refers to all lands within a…

Latest action

Jun 3, 2026: Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held.

Committee: Senate Indian Affairs