N.Y. Indian Law § 24: Leases

§ 24. Leases. An Indian residing on the Onondaga reservation and a

member of the Onondaga tribe, owning or possessed of improved lands

therein, may lease such lands to white persons, for a term not to exceed

ten years; but no individual Indian shall have the right to lease any

lands to be used as a stone quarry or for commercial purposes. A

majority of the chiefs of such tribe may, by a written contract drawn

under the direction of the agent of such tribe and approved by his

indorsement thereon, lease lands to be used as stone quarries, lands to

be used for commercial purposes and national lands of the tribe to white

persons, the expense of such contracts to be paid by the persons to whom

the lands shall be leased. Any such contract without the consent of the

agent shall be void.

All moneys due upon leases of lands to be used as stone quarries or of

lands to be used for commercial purposes, shall be paid to the agent to

be distributed by him as follows: One-third to the Onondaga Nation of

Indians and two-thirds to the individual owner of such lands, and each

such lease, hereafter made, shall contain such requirement for the

payment and disbursement of lease moneys.

As used in this section "commercial purposes" shall mean and include

any purpose, except agricultural purposes, for which the land may be

used to derive a profit.