CATTARAUGUS INDIAN RESERVATION, N.Y. - Seneca Indians blocked an expressway and fought with state police on two reservations where Indians are rebelling against new taxes on gasoline and cigarettes.
"Get off our land! Get out of here!" a crowd of about 400 Senecas shouted at police Thursday as the Indians took over the Southern Tier Expressway. The four-lane highway passes through the Allegany Indian Reservation, 70 miles southeast of Buffalo.Indians blockaded the road with cars, tires and picnic benches. A 15-mile stretch of the highway was closed, and cars backed up for miles on side roads.
The road remained closed Friday, but negotiations were under way between Indian representatives and Gov. Mario Cuomo's office to reopen it.
On the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation 40 miles northwest, about 100 state police cars lined the New York State Thruway and highway overpasses where Indians clashed with troopers early Thursday.
About 200 Indians started bonfires and threw burning tires off an overpass onto the Thruway.
Treaties from the 1700s forbid taxing Indians. New York says they don't prohibit taxing sales to non-Indians on reservations.