Statement Of U.S. Attorney Kennedy Regarding The Cayuga Nation Of Indians Dispute In Seneca County, NY

CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York shares the public's concerns regarding the impact that this internal dispute within the Cayuga Nation of Indians has on the public safety of all members of our community. My Office, together with the Department of Justice—Office of Tribal Justice (DOJ-OTJ), and other DOJ components, is collecting information regarding the pre-dawn events of February 22, 2020, and assessing whether any violations of applicable law occurred. We are engaged in ongoing discussions with Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), regarding both the circumstances giving rise to the incident, the incident itself, and potential responses.  In addition, we have requested the assistance of both BIA as well as DOJ's Community Relations Service (CRS) in the dispute. Across the Department of Justice, our paramount objective is the preservation of public safety. We will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners in pursuit of that goal, as we do all that we can to ensure that all involved exhibit respect not only for applicable law—but for one another as well.

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