'A step toward healing:' An effort to return some sacred land By Sean Kirst / The Post‐Standard  | Tuesday, April 12, 2011, 9:46 PM   Comment Page: Accessed by Tim D. on 4.24.2011 at 9:30 pm  Page 1 of comments: http://www.syracuse.com/kirst/index.ssf/2011/04/post_148/951/comments.html  The Great Baboonsky April 13, 2011 at 10:27AM Follow Surely, you can't be serious that you think I was being serious? A little irreverant satire to spark discussion sometimes wakes up this board to produce more lively comments. My comment was more than likely deleted, not because it was desecrating and insulting to the Onondagans, but because it was desecrating and insulting to, Sean, and his usual genre of happy-warm-puppy articles. When you lighten up and prove you can tell the difference between your buttocks and the boondocks, I will then chill out. Until then, as wise men of peace, let us bury our venomous words in the sands on the shore of Lake Onondaga and wait for the sun to riseth in the west before we speak again with fork-ed tongue. Regards, T.G.B. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

BobDougherty April 13, 2011 at 10:51AM Follow When you learn the meaning of the word "desecrating" maybe someone will take you seriously. In other words, when hell freezes over. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

The Great Baboonsky April 13, 2011 at 11:18AM Follow Oh, Bob, according to my, "I Love Me Wall," I've already got a pretty good Handel on words. Regards, T.G.B. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

4ENTERTAINMENTPURPOSESONLY April 13, 2011 at 12:15PM Follow This is 4ENTERTAINMENTPURPOSESONLY.... I wasn't serious and don't call me Shirley....Sorry to see our exchange has been removed....Andy Kaufman was miss understood too... We must expect that when comedy and performance art are taken to the edges of irrationality and the dividing line between reality and imagination are blurred, some will not understand.... The Great Baboonsky thank you...now drive through Inappropriate? Alert us.

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The Great Baboonsky April 13, 2011 at 12:33PM Follow Got it, friend. Seriously, Shirley, I do not have a serious or malicious bone in my body, but I do get deleted frequently, as do many other commenters. I say, if someone emits bad gas, then hold your breath and una#s the area post haste; don't delete! Regards, T.G.B. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

ChairmanAl03 April 13, 2011 at 5:12PM Follow Welcome to the often deleted club, TGB. Your club smoking jacket and bubble pipe is on its way. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

The Great Baboonsky April 13, 2011 at 6:31PM Follow Well, I'm glad to know there's a club; I was beginning to develop a complex. Thanks, Chairman'! Regards, T.G.B. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

Coultergeist April 13, 2011 at 7:09PM Follow I didnt get the bubble pipe?!!!! Why not????????? Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

Slog Boy April 13, 2011 at 7:53PM Follow I'll give you a bubble pipe if you really want one. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

Beast of Burden April 13, 2011 at 8:15PM Follow good one. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

The Great Baboonsky April 14, 2011 at 12:37AM Follow Coult', I don't know either -- but I hope it's not a new TA-50 item. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

noisedome April 13, 2011 at 1:03PM Follow madmann61, Your post shows a complete lack of knowledge of the topic at hand....Please refrain from speaking further. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

theOrangeArmy April 13, 2011 at 7:22AM Follow No thanks! Make due with what you have, assimilate with our culture & pay your taxes Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

happytrees April 13, 2011 at 8:16AM Follow hope you can do the same in 20 years or so. from the sounds of your understanding you should have no problem. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

4ENTERTAINMENTPURPOSESONLY April 13, 2011 at 7:48AM Follow Hand it over and while you're at it give the Onondaga's the Carousel Center mall and its ugly prison looking expansion too....  Page 2 of comments: http://www.syracuse.com/kirst/index.ssf/2011/04/post_148/951/comments‐2.html  13207 April 13, 2011 at 8:01AM Follow Give the land back. At the end of the day it will mean a little less land for Onondaga County to take care of. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

drdestiny April 13, 2011 at 12:08PM Follow The Onondagas are a conquered nation. They supported the british in the revolution, unlike cheif tumbling dice. we don't need to give them anything. BUT, if they want to build a casino go for it! Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

solon4440 April 13, 2011 at 8:09AM Follow fundamental problem - more property where no pays taxes - i hate taxes - but if American Citizens are required by law to pay - then everyone should ay Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

okozuna April 13, 2011 at 8:23AM Follow Solon4440-while I understand and agree with your sentiment, how does it apply here? The county owns the land and I would suspect pays no taxes to itself. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

voyager1 April 13, 2011 at 8:45AM Follow although Edwards cut off his own thought with a gesture toward endless piles of old tires, debris and sanitary waste. "Hard to think of any of that," Edwards said, "looking at the way it is now." Don't know why that should bother him seeing how the reservation isn't much cleaner. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

d13214m April 13, 2011 at 8:50AM Follow This county resident does not embrace the idea, no matter how small the strip of land. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

I Luv America April 13, 2011 at 8:58AM Follow How about the NYS govt puts this up as a vote in the next election huh? Question - should we keep giving more and more to the nations indigenous population or have we done enough? Jimminy crickets, I bet you the overwhelming vote would be --heck yea we have! Enough is enough! Stop the BS start taxing these people just like the rest of the country and be done with it! If they don't like it then get out. Inappropriate? Alert us.

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lightless April 13, 2011 at 9:12AM Follow What a great idea. We should call it Murphy's Law! Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

throneoflucifer April 13, 2011 at 9:15AM Follow GIVE IT BACK, IT'S NOT OURS! IT'S THEIR LAND THAT WAS STOLEN FROM THEM BY GREEDY, & CORRUPT EUROPEANS!!! Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

farkeled April 13, 2011 at 9:20AM Follow Wait just a second. The white man stole the land from the Indians fair and square. Why should we give it back? Seriously, I bet we paid the Onondagas something for the land and now they don't like the deal? The story goes that we paid the Indians some $24 worth of trinkets for Manhattan Island. Truth is we paid the wrong Indian tribe. Why don't we give that back too? Upstate New York would be better off. History is full of land being lost to other peoples. Either give them back the whole darn lake or nothing! Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

PublicHarbr6 April 13, 2011 at 9:25AM Follow Great story, Sean! If this legislation is successful, it may be the most memorable thing our County Legislature did in the past 100 years. The white man certainly did a thorough job of taking it and trashing it. We really didn't need environmental laws to know that we were destroying our land and waters. It was thoroughly trashed in the interest of politics, special interests and profit. Let's return this land to its original stewards (as if anyone can ever "own" land) and take the lead in cleaning it up for future generations. I am sure the Onondagas will gladly share that land with the entire community after it is clean enough to share and enjoy together. Thanks again for the story! Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

The Great Baboonsky April 13, 2011 at 10:39AM Follow Please allow me the indulgence of borrowing a line from '80s liberalese . . . "Gag me with a spoon!" . . . your writing is more pablumian than Seans'. You obviously never met any of the Onondagans -- they will not gladly share anything -- you are dreaming, friend. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

christoff9 April 13, 2011 at 11:43AM Follow TGB - Well, they certainly can't treat the land any worse than we did. What is it exactly you want them to share? And, yes, I've met them. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

The Great Baboonsky April 13, 2011 at 12:24PM Follow christoff9, I was referring to a sentence in PublicHarbr6's comment, " I am sure the Onondagas will gladly share that land. . . . " I say, don't trust them to share anything; but, I'm glad you've met some of them and hope your experience was better than mine. Regards, T.G.B. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

keepwaterclean April 13, 2011 at 9:42AM Follow It sure beats selling land to Congel without a competitive bid. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new « Previous comments 1 | 2 | 3 Next comments » Page 3 Comments: http://www.syracuse.com/kirst/index.ssf/2011/04/post_148/951/comments-3.html KingGoreIV April 13, 2011 at 10:08AM Follow The Evil Inidians should give the land back to the buffalo, deer, bear, beaver, hawk and worms... Go back to where you came from, China.... This isn't your land either... Blah blah blah blah.... Your a clown.... Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

fultonformer April 13, 2011 at 11:18AM Follow I think they should give it to Sam Fuld! Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

Jim Deferio April 13, 2011 at 11:29AM

Follow I don't live too far from the Onondaga Reservation and I have been there many times. When the Onondagas can learn to keep their own reservation clean and show some neighborly love to their own less wealthy people on the Reservation, then they are total hypocrites and speak with forked tongues. The class discepncies between families on the Reservation is at least as bad if not worse than the comparison of the inner city of Syracuse with the rich sections of Manlius and Skaneatles. Because the American Indians didn't have the technology to conquer nature, they worshipped it. Now they have the technology and you see very clearly that all people are basically the same - selfish, covetous, power hungry, and sinful. The myth that American democracy came from the Indians can be discussed at a later date... Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

betwin April 13, 2011 at 12:07PM Follow than when we give it back,edwards can beat up kids down there too!like on the rez,good idea,new stopping grounds or is that stomping grounds Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

gillgetter April 13, 2011 at 12:37PM Follow This 'Chief' seems phoney to me in the video. Not sure what he is looking at but he says there are no fish. Really? That lake is teeming with fish. And the eagles have been "back" for nearly ten years. Maybe not in the numbers we see now but they have been back for some time. Someone who is supposed to be in tune with nature and this 'sacred land' should know that. If he wants to see the lake returned to its pristine nature (a physical impossibility) he could start by picking up some trash. While I'm sure he didn't put it there if he wants to help then lead by example - not just carry on about how bad it is. I see a lot of companies volunteering to pick up in the park but haven't seen the 'Nation' over there. And while I think it fitting and proper that he wants to honor his cultural heritage and that it is a part of every American's history, pony up with some cash to help make that happen and not look to tax paying citizens to pay for everything. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

syracuse1950 April 13, 2011 at 2:54PM Follow The Murphy's Island acreage is a contaminated area, formerly used as a city dump and by industry for chemical waste disposal. I wouldn't want to eat small game from it or fish that spawned near to it. Back at the Treaty of 1788 at Fort Schuyler, it was at the junction of the Onondaga Reservation and the separate Onondaga Salt Springs Reservation, the latter being a joint use area with the Onondaga Indians. Giving it back to the Onondagas after letting it be thoroughly trashed doesn't seem like a very generous gift. I'm surprised that they even conditionally consider the idea. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

dick fonze April 13, 2011 at 3:13PM Follow

I'LL BET THERE'S AS MANY EAGLE'S THERE NOW AS THERE EVER WAS ,THERE ARE MORE DEER IN NYS THEN THERE EVER WAS!!!!!!!!!! Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

udontwannhearit April 13, 2011 at 4:20PM Follow I didn't know there were any Irish Indians! Murphy was probably a salt boiler back in the day. Give the island to the Tip Hill drunks so they can open another bar the politicians can hide out in. Just don't let Uncle "smilin" Bob 'no taxes" Congel get it. He'll buy it cheap and sell it back to the rubes running this city.. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

custerlives April 13, 2011 at 4:25PM Follow I here the indians are looking for a new place to store their junk cars, grow weed and sell fireworks. Looks like the ideal location. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

onfirst April 13, 2011 at 4:30PM Follow The Onondagas are the biggest cigarette merchants in the area. Their property on and off the reservation is filthy. And they lecture us on "healthy environment". Shame on our county leaders, (and journalists), for giving in to this politically correct nonsense. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

antony April 13, 2011 at 10:59PM Follow Maybe the Indians can change their minds about gambling and put a casino there on the lake. Of course ,the Italians thought of that(a casino on the lake) many decades ago, and hoped gambling would be legalized for a casino to be built on the lake. They were prepared but it never happened. But that was when it was bad for anyone to run gambling operations,especially the Italians who were made to look like the Capone mob. Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new

the snitch April 14, 2011 at 3:37AM Follow GIVE IT BACK