History of Native American Land Rights in Upstate New York
A complex and troubled history defines the borders of upstate New York beyond the physical boundaries of its rivers and lakes. The United States and the state were often deceptive in their territory negotiations with the Iroquois Six Nations. Amidst the growing quest for more land among settlers and then fledgling Americans, the Indian nations attempted to maintain their autonomy. Yet state land continued to encroach the Six Nations. Local historian Cindy Amrhein takes a close and critical view of these transactions. Evidence of dubious deals, bribes, faulty surveys and coerced signatures may help explain why many of the Nations now feel they were cheated out of their territory.
Cindy Amrhein
Cindy Amrhein is the county historian for Wyoming County, New York. After working for ten years as a freelance abstractor for a title search company, Cindy Amrhein changed her focus to title searching only historic properties and Native American land. From 2004 to 2006 Cindy was a weekly columnist for a Native American newspaper in northern New York State, The Akwesasne Phoenix Sundays (now out of print) under the pen name of HistorySleuth, the handle she still uses online. Her latest book, A History of Native American Land Rights in Upstate New York is on its way to becoming a reference for land claims. It is now carried by 30 college/university libraries in 19 states including Columbia University, Princeton, Harvard, Oklahoma State, Texas A &M, and Yale University Law School Library.
