Seneca-Cayuga Tribe Balks At Extortion
The Seneca-Cayuga Tribes sued Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson on Monday in federal court in Tulsa. The tribe contends that its tribal tobacco corporation is on the brink of collapse with the loss of 74 tribal jobs at the tribe’s facility near Grove, OK.
At issue is an escrow account into which the state of Oklahoma has forced to tribe to contribute $10 million thus far. The state maintains that since the tribe was not party to Oklahoma’s ‘deal’ with big tobacco companies back in 1998 it must pay into the escrow fund.
As part of the deal with ‘big tobacco’ the Attorney General promised the major tobacco companies to force small tobacco manufactures to pay into an escrow account supposedly an amount equal to what the small companies would have paid in kickbacks to the state, were they party to the deal with ‘big tobacco’.
The Seneca-Cayuga Tribe maintains that it is soverign and therefore not subject to economic deals the state of Oklahoma cuts with anyone, especially deals Oklahoma makes to protect the interests of large tobacco companies.
The Seneca-Cayugas allege that states knowingly or unwittingly agreed to help manipulate the tobacco market to protect big tobacco’s bottom line and overburden small tobacco manufacturers to the point of extinction.
The tribe is asking the federal court for a temporary, preliminary and permanent injunction barring the defendant Oklahoma Attorney General Edmondson from prohibiting the sale of the tribal corporation’s products within Oklahoma. The tribe is also seeking the return of the $10 million dollars it has paid into the escrow account.
More on this interesting case as it develops…
January 16th, 2007 at 10:03 am
I am trying to place an order for cigarettes. I am unable to reach anyone on the internet or by telephone. Will someone please e-mail me and let me know what is going on. I have been a Skydancer customer for many years now and am trying to purchase your product. The retail outlet I have purchased Skydancer from is out of business. Who carries Skydancer Cigarettes in the Houston market area?
Thanks for your help in advance.
Andy Bracht
713.973.2627
socdolager@peoplepc.com
February 20th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
You can’t find Skydancer because the state of Oklahoma is in the pocket of the big tobacco companies…what those of us who WERE Skydancer customers need to ask is …how can we help the tribe get back in buisness!
Glen2gs Bedford TX
February 20th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
P.S. I for one would be willing to pay as much for Skydancer as I do for the big tobacco brands.
June 13th, 2007 at 9:24 am
I am married to a tribal member of the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe and this is the first I have heard about these issues. We do not live in OK so we don’t always keep up to date with tribal issues. I was looking up something on the net and came across this post. If I hear anything I will be sure and let you guys know. You might try calling the HR department for the tribe the number is 1-866-787-5452 and ask to talk to the Chief. I am not sure who the current Chief is as we have not heard who won the elections earlier this month.
November 5th, 2007 at 10:11 am
I have been a Skydancer user for years, and I love the product. Where I live in WA, the tribe here rolled over offered up the belly to the “state” in a compact (not to help the people) so they are going to close the smoke shops. So we will behave to buy “taxed” smokes. Its time we stand up for our SOVERIGN NATIONS! ! ! ! !
WE AS NATIVES have givin up to much.
I’m hoping that I will find away to buy SKYDANCERS ! ! ! ! !
February 27th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
I only came to this website trying to find out why my Skydancers don’t have cotton filters anymore (I lit the wrong end, oops!).
Then I see what the state of OK is trying to do. I don’t live there so my writing congressmen would not help, but I would urge all in OK to do so. I have done it in my own state and if put correctly can make a difference.
Come on Oklahoma (and other states) these are SOVEREIGN nations! They are not, were not, and should not be any part of any deals with BIG Tobacco.
February 29th, 2008 at 1:42 am
Ride High Ride Proud Rise above the Clouds and Fight for a Victory for Native America and for smokers as well
March 17th, 2008 at 11:45 am
I have been searching for a cheaper quality cigarette that is still slow burning and have found them in Skydancer cigarettes. I have enjoyed the smoke and would buy them and the Texas republic brand
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:05 am
I smoked Skydancer cigarettes when I lived in Florida for the past three years, I bought them from the same gas station near my home every day or week. If I was away and could not find them, or if the store was out, I didn’t buy any other brand. Now that I no longer live in Florida. but have moved to Georgia, I cannot find them here so I order them from the same gas station near where I lived in Florida and have them shipped. They are the only brand cigarette I will smoke from now on, but since I can’t find them nearby, I would like to become a dealer or sales rep. exclusively for Skydancer cigarettes since no one here sells them. I’m part Delaware-Cherokee. How would I become a dealer and who who would I contact? The Seneca Cayuga Tribe in Grove, Oklahoma?
September 4th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
OMG !!! I am so SICK of all the control and BS over something that isn’t even “illegal” … just ‘politically incorrect’ … thanks to a controling prejudice and OUT OF CONTROL few !!! It’s just a ‘good’ excuse for another outrageous TAX … and for those that need to feel ‘holier than thou’ to look down on those that don’t agree with them !!! If they were really worried about health risks and ‘pollution’ … they’d tax or fine the yahoos that leave their cars running for 30 minutes or an hour … for NO GOOD REASON other than they’re too stupid to turn them off !!! I lived in CO … the healthy clean air State … where God forbid you even think about lighting up in public … but it was nothing to go into King Soopers on a cold day and see half the cars in the parking lot running … with no one in them … so they’d be warm when the owner returned !!! The exhaust was enough to make anyone’s eyes water !!! GIVE ME A BREAK !!!
I definitely support the Native tribes in this … and smokers in general … and tho’ I don’t live in OKLA … will definitely write whoever I can to make that fact known !!!
‘THEY’ are trying to control smokers today … but WHO will it be tomorrow ??? Drinkers … tobacco chewers … gum chewers … or you and me for something else just as ridiculous ??? Think about it … this could be just the beginning !!! Aaauuuggghhh !!!
September 4th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
BTW … Skydancers are available all over the net … they just jumped in price from $11.99 to $15.00 in less than a week !!! Wonder what that’s about ???
September 18th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
I found this site while searching for my Sky dancer brand cheaper. They have gone up in price three times since I started buying them online. Now I know why. They Oklahoma goverment has no right to do this. Also what is the goverment doing protecting the big cigarette companys for anyway.
This whole country is going to hell in a hand basket. The small business owner is being over run by big corporate business and our local gorverments are lining there pockets with their corporate kickback money and it is us the smoker that pays the price. That price is called a “Sin tax”.
If it was a sin then why do they even sell it. They sell it to line their own pockets. As if they don’t tax us enough now. We People need to realize it is us that pays their pay check. We need to band together and stand up and say. NO MORE!!! I wish I lived in Oklahoma but I don’t. You better believe that i do know smoker that do and I will be informing them of this law suit and how they need to band together and say NO MORE!!!
November 30th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
I started smoking skydancer because they where all natural, I live in Texas and when driving through Oklahoma where we know SkyDancer are made, each smoke shop we stopped at told us they didn’t carry the skydancer cigarette, when asked why? We where told it had something to do with the goverment of Oklahoma, but no one would explain anything to us. Now we know after coming across this web site. If there’s anything the people can do we need to know to help out.
There’s no reason why this should be happening to them, and the public should get behind you. Keep your head high as Native American has always done, and don’t give up the fight. I’m with you, just tell us what we need to do to help out.
December 29th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
make white eyes pay tax, not tribal members.
December 11th, 2009 at 11:35 am
If I cannot smoke Skydancer Cigarettes, I will have to stop smoking. Cigarettes made by the big companies are filled with too many chemicals, many just to keep us hooked. If anyone finds where Skydancers are sold on the web, (not run by the NY mob), let me know!
December 14th, 2009 at 9:38 am
I have been smoking sky dancers for a while. sometimes the cigarettes have kittle holes in them, anywhere on the cigrette, I can’t smoke them. for the price I pay which is 33.00 a carton in florida, I don’t want to keep throwing them away, what can I do?