Efforts to reclaim the land and the rights that come with sovereign Indian land have gone unresolved through decades of court battles. Frustrated, the Oneidas announced plans last December to expand the claim to sue individual landowners along with the state and county governments. The United States government supports that claim. In recent months, the rhetoric has grown increasingly rancorous on all sides of the debate. Citizens groups and political leaders have urged people to boycott Indian-owned businesses.
Pickets occur several times each week near the businesses.
The Oneidas have expanded at their casino site in Verona, have continued a policy not to pay property taxes and have continued to sell gasoline and cigarettes without collecting sales taxes. Last week, the insults reached a new level with threats of execution and suicide bombing. In an anonymous letter sent to the Utica Observer-Dispatch, a group calling itself the United States National Freedom Fighters laid out a plan to kill one Native American every three days, starting on Thanksgiving. The letter said one non-Indian seen patronizing the casino or SavOn gas stations would be executed. The letter appeared on the Internet Thursday, has been distributed at businesses and made its way into schools Friday, nation spokesman Mark Emery said.