The accord would also be a significant milestone for the St. Regis Mohawk's proposal to build a $500-million gaming facility at the Kutsher's Country Club property in the Town of Thompson. A land settlement agreement is required if the project hopes to receive required approvals from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and from New York State.

Mohawk Tribal leaders said that the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Council, the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne and the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs and New York State agreed to terms that could settle the land claim dispute. The proposed settlement must now go before a tribal referendum scheduled for Nov. 27.

"The unity of the three councils in pursuing this claim has played a central role in getting us to where we are today," says Jack Swamp, Wolf Clan representative of the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs. "Our elders have taught us the value of working together for the good of the community."