Mar 14, 2022 — A federal judge has ruled that New York illegally took about 2,000 acres of land in St. Lawrence and Franklin counties from Mohawks in the 1800s.

At issue is land known as the Hogansburg Triangle, a part of the territory set aside for Mohawks in the 1796 Treaty of Canandaigua. New York State bought that land from the St. Regis Mohawks in 1824 and 1825. But it didn't get approval from the federal government.

Judge Lawrence Kahn ruled in a summary judgment Monday that the failure to get federal approval violated the Non-Intercourse Act of 1790, which established a legal relationship between native nations and the United States government. According to the treaty, states need federal approval to acquire native land.Judge Kahn ruled that the 1796 treaty "did confer recognized title to the St. Regis Indians." However, Kahn did not rule what should happen as a result of his decision. That will be the subject of future negotiations and litigation.

In addition to the Hogansburg Triangle, the ruling also affects one square mile in the town of Massena.