This 900-acre area of land was obtained by the Haudenosaunee Six Nations, along with 4,000 acres in E. Hawkesbury (not shown on this map), in 1831 in an attempt by the Crown to compensate the Haudenosaunee Six Nations for monies that Deputy Superintendent and Inspector General of Indian Affairs, William Claus, embezzled from their trust fund. Unfortunately, the Crown did not pursue a full accounting of the monies embezzled by William Claus, nor did the Crown ensure that the legal title to these lands was actually transferred from the Claus family to the Haudenosaunee Six Nations (the 2nd and 3rd of 29 filed claims). The Crown then sold these lands in the 1840s, without obtaining a legal surrender or the consent of the Haudenosaunee Six Nations, and for amounts less than that embezzled by Indian Agent William Claus.       The Crown's failure to research and obtain a proper legal tile to this land led to at least one lawsuit brought against the Crown by one of the non-Native purchasers of the lands in the 1850s. In defending itself against this lawsuit, the Crown used Haudenosaunee Six Nations trust fund monies, without the knowledge or authorization of the Haudenosaunee Six Nations. The Crown lost this court action and was required to pay compensation to, and the court costs of, the defendant. The Crown also used Haudenosaunee Six Nations trust fund monies to make these payments. In addition, because the court found that the legal title to the lands still rested with the Claus family, the Crown took 5,000 pounds from the Haudenosaunee Six Nations trust accounts --against the explicit wishes of the Haudenosaunee Six Nations-- to purchase any and all remaining interests held by the Claus family for these lands. [1]       Not only has the full, embezzled balance that was originally owed to the Haudenosaunee by Indian Affairs never been repaid, but neither have the additional monies that the Crown wrongfully took from the Haudenosaunee Six Nations trust funds in the Crown's defense of its own incompetence. Monies were also allegedly removed from the Haudenosaunee Six Nations trust funds for taxes, even though Native lands are exempt from taxes. In addition, the Haudenosaunee Six Nations never agreed to surrender these lands for sale. More information coming soon...