Onondaga Lake Dispute: Nation Seeks Sacred Land, County Wants Taxes
Onondaga Lake, once polluted and now cleaned up, holds deep cultural significance for the Onondaga Nation. Local officials and the Nation have been locked in a 14-year stalemate over the transfer of a lakefront parcel back to the Nation.
The Onondaga Nation views Onondaga Lake as a 'living relative', with sacred ceremonies tied to its shores. The lake is also revered as the birthplace of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. The Nation supports the removal of a nearby Christopher Columbus statue, a move initially proposed by current County Executive Ryan McMahon in 2020.
Both parties have expressed frustration with the lack of progress in the land transfer. The county wants the Nation to pay taxes on other reacquired lands and avoid litigation over the lake's cleanup. The Nation, however, seeks the return of the lakefront parcel to practice their ceremonies and honor their ancestral ties to the lake. Previous attempts to return some land in 2011 and 2016 have not yielded significant results.
The dispute over the Onondaga Lake shoreline has been ongoing for over a decade, with both the Onondaga Nation and local officials seeking resolution. The Nation hopes to reclaim their sacred space, while the county seeks tax payments and legal assurances.
