Editing Mohicans (section)

==Land claims==
In the late twentieth century, the Stockbridge-Munsee were among tribes filing land claims against New York, which had been ruled to have unconstitutionally acquired land from Indians without Senate ratification. The Stockbridge-Munsee filed a land claim against New York state for {{convert|23000|acre}} in Madison County, the location of its former property. In 2011, outgoing governor [[David Paterson]] announced having reached a deal with the tribe. They would be given nearly {{convert|2|acre}} in Madison County and give up their larger claim in exchange for the state's giving them 330 acres of land in [[Sullivan County, New York|Sullivan County]] in the [[Catskill Mountains]], where the government was trying to encourage economic development. The federal government had agreed to take the land in trust, making it eligible for development as a gaming casino, and the state would allow gaming, an increasingly important source of revenue for American Indians. Race track and casinos, private interests and other tribes opposed the deal.<ref name="Toensing">[https://archive.today/20130126040651/http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/01/26/seneca-nation-cries-foul-over-n-y-agreement-to-give-casino-to-wisc-tribe-12651 Gale Courey Toensing, "Seneca Upset Over N.Y. Casino Agreement"], ''Indian Country Today'', 26 January 2011</ref><!-- What happened?  This section needs to be brought up to date.  -->

In 2011, the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of the Mohican Indians regained ownership 156 acres along the Hudson River, a tract known as Papscanee Island Nature Preserve near [[East Greenbush, New York|East Greenbush]] and [[Schodack]]. The land was donated to descendants of its indigenous inhabitants by the Open Space Initiative. Prior to colonization, the island was used for ceremonies by the Mohicans before it was acquired by Dutch merchant [[Kiliaen van Rensselaer (merchant)|Kiliaen Van Rensselaer]] in 1637. The property is managed by Rensselaer County and the Rensselaer Land Trust for public access and protection, while owned by the Mohicans.<ref>Crowe, Kenneth C. II "Mohicans reclaim a key part of their New York ancestral lands" Albany times-Union. May 8, 2021 https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Mohicans-reclaim-a-key-part-of-their-New-York-16161219.php {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108190904/https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Mohicans-reclaim-a-key-part-of-their-New-York-16161219.php |date=8 November 2021 }}</ref>