AKWESASNE – (Onerahtóhka/April 2, 2026) The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe celebrates a significant legal victory in its federal court action against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. On March 31, 2026, the U.S. District Court of Northern New York granted the Tribe’s motion, ordering the Indian Health Service (IHS) to accept the Tribe’s final offer and include programs, functions, services, and activities (PFSAs) into the proposed amendment to the Funding Agreement.
The U.S. District Court found that both the Sanitation Facilities Construction Act and the Indian Health Care Improvement Act provide the necessary authority for the IHS to operate and maintain sanitation facilities, and, therefore, for the Tribe to include PFSAs in its Funding Agreement. With the partial rejection of the proposed amendment to add PFSAs to the Funding Agreement by IHS, the court ruled those portions be effective as of August 8, 2024—the date by which IHS should have accepted the Tribe’s proposed amendments.
Tribal Council stated, “The Saint Regis Mohawk Reservation is served by aging sanitation infrastructure, which directly impacts the health and well-being of the Akwesasne community. Adding the Water Treatment Plant and Wastewater Treatment Plant to the Tribe's existing IHS compact will help improve the Tribe’s capacity to treat sewage and wastewater.”
This ruling constitutes a final order and affirms the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s rights to adequate funding and support for essential community sanitation services. The Tribe will collaborate with the IHS to implement the improvements for the benefit of the Akwesasne community.