In Varick, N.Y., a speck of a town nearly five hours northwest of Manhattan, sit the remnants of a two-story farmhouse and barn.
Known as the Varick House, the property once was the home of Wanda John, a member of the Cayuga Nation of Native Americans. The barn served as a ceremonial building for Cayuga citizens; its garden was where John’s son says his mom years ago taught her grandchildren how to plant vegetables.
These days, the site symbolizes something greater: a power struggle that’s divided the tribal nation, entangled state and federal courts, and raised questions about the nation’s ...