Upstate Citizens for Equality (UCE) was a citizens' rights group based in

Verona, New York Verona (called ''Te-o-na-ta-le'', "''pine forest''" by the Haudenosaunee) is a town in southwestern Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 6,293 at the 2010 census. The town was named after Verona, Italy. Verona is located so ...

, that opposed

Oneida Indian Nation The Oneida Indian Nation (OIN) or Oneida Nation is a federally recognized tribe of Oneida people in the United States. The tribe is headquartered in Verona, New York, where the tribe originated and held its historic territory long before Europea ...

(OIN)

land claims A land claim is defined as "the pursuit of recognized territorial ownership by a group or individual". The phrase is usually only used with respect to disputed or unresolved land claims. Some types of land claims include aboriginal land claims, A ...

, the

Turning Stone Resort Casino Turning Stone Resort Casino is a Native American resort casino owned and operated by the Oneida Indian Nation of New York (OIN) in Verona, New York. The facility opened on July 20, 1993, and offers golf amenities (on- and off-site golf course ...

, the OIN's application to the US Interior Department to place into federal trust, OIN sovereignty, and what it viewed as flawed

federal Indian policy Federal Indian policy establishes the relationship between the United States Government and the Indian Tribes within its borders. The Constitution gives the federal government primary responsibility for dealing with tribes. Some scholars divide the ...

. The group organized protests at the OIN's gas stations and casino condemning OIN's sovereign status and unique relationship with the US government and New York State.

Legal actions

UCE and some individual members filed several legal actions to further UCE's goals, including several failed challenges to the OIN's land claim. UCE challenged the validity of the 1993 tribal-state gaming compact between the Oneidas and New York State that Turning Stone Casino & Resort operates under.''Peterman v Pataki''. See

for full citation history UCE and some individual members also challenged the OIN's application to have land taken into trust under the

Indian Reorganization Act The Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) of June 18, 1934, or the Wheeler–Howard Act, was U.S. federal legislation that dealt with the status of American Indians in the United States. It was the centerpiece of what has been often called the "Indian ...

of 1934. Judge Kahn dismissed UCE's complaints, including the failed theory that the IRA is unconstitutional, on the basis of longstanding and settled law on this issue. UCE appealed the dismissal to the US Second Circuit Court of Appeals, where the decision was affirmed.

Criticism

It has been reported that every Native Nation located in the vicinity of New York State and other tribes represented by the United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) views UCE as an anti-Indian hate group. The article was published in Indian Country, which is now owned by the OIN. Though, the OIN condemned UCE long before purchasing the paper. The OIN had the most contact with this organization. The OIN were critical of UCE and its members. USET currently, and at the time of the adoption of this resolution was led by a representative of the Oneida Indian Nation of New York elected by the 24 Native Nation representatives. UCE countered that the OIN lodged accusations of racism in order to stifle the voice of those who oppose its policies. Non-Indians also charged UCE members as being a group of racists. UCE denied such accusations, despite its stated purpose. In December 2006, UCE President David Vickers made a comment while speaking on a Syracuse, NY radio program that sparked allegations of racism. Mr. Vickers and WSYR talk show host Jim Reith were discussing the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to hear an appeal from the New York State Court Appeals in ''Peterman v Pataki''. The following is a snippet of the dialog that transpired during that show: The National Congress of American Indians, which is made up of elected representatives of the overwhelming majority of Indian tribes, also condemned the UCE as a racist hate group; comparing UCE members to David Duke.NCAI Brands Political Opposition as Racists

References

External links

website
{{authority control Aboriginal title in the United States Native American history of New York (state) Native American law Political advocacy groups in the United States