On May 12, 2025, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council attended the State-Native American Relations Subcommittee roundtable to openly discuss tribal issues with the New York State Senate committee alongside fellow Indigenous nations.
At the historic State Capitol Building in Albany, NY, Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. of the 14th district chaired the subcommittee roundtable. It included tribal leaders from the Shinnecock, Seneca, Cayuga, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, and the Unkechaug Nation— who all shared collective concerns and unique issues regarding economic development, nation-to-nation trading, education, and funding.
The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council addressed hurdles delaying the progress of the new St. Regis Mohawk Elementary School project, the land claim settlement, transportation, tribal gaming, and law enforcement. Tribal Council echoed support for creating an Indigenous relations position to facilitate open communication between the subcommittee and tribal nations.
"We hope through the subcommittee roundtable we see a continuation of needed state investment into our aging education infrastructure, as well as reaching finality to our 41-year-old Mohawk land claim settlement. We appreciated the opportunity to express our concerns to state leaders amongst our Indigenous allies, and look forward to solutions addressing regional transportation issues, increasing economic opportunity for our community and others, and increased law enforcement cooperation."
In 2018, the St. Regis Mohawk School experienced flooding due to a thawing ice jam, causing the building to deteriorate rapidly. Since then, the school has experienced seasonal flooding and HVAC, electrical, and plumbing issues, to name a few. Last summer, the tribe unveiled design plans for the proposed new school, which included a state-of-the-art education campus housing the SRMT Education Division and the St. Regis Mohawk Elementary School. The new school's proposed $110 million budget was not included in the 2024 NYS budget, halting plans to break ground this summer.
Tribal Council relayed issues acquiring much-needed NYS Department of Transportation funding to repair and maintain state roads through the territory. The New York State Route 37 Highway through Akwesasne sees over 14,000 local, commercial, and outside travelers daily. Without DOT's support, the SRMT has assumed the financial responsibility of maintaining the Akwesasne portion of NYS Route 37 with no visible end in sight.
Through the State-Native American Relations Subcommittee Roundtable and lobbying in Washington, D.C., Tribal Council continues to push for advancing much-needed tribal initiatives to enhance education infrastructure, transportation, and economic development and seizing opportunities to address issues affecting our community and that of our Indigenous relatives across Turtle Island.