Haudenosaunee cultural center acquires 600 acres in New York for restoration, education

A Mohawk-led cultural center in New York has acquired 600 acres of traditional homelands with support from The Nature Conservancy and partners, according to ICT. The Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Center purchased the property for $1.1 million from Paul Smith’s College. The land, located near the center’s existing campus in Onchiota, is part of the broader territory of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

Director David Fadden told ICT the land will be used for cultural education and a future youth camp. Conservation easements will guide how the land is managed, with documents filed in both English and Mohawk and grounded in Haudenosaunee values. The Nature Conservancy said the project marks its first land return in New York and reflects efforts to expand Indigenous stewardship and access to land, according to ICT.