ALBANY – The leaders of five Native American tribes with land claims against the state voiced strong support yesterday for a proposed settlement that would enable them to build five casinos within 90 miles of Manhattan in the next several years.

Governor Pataki proposed legislation last month to settle a dispute over hundreds of thousands of acres of land in the Catskill Mountains once owned by tribes that today exist largely outside the state. The governor’s bill, which would help the state avoid potential liability of billions of dollars, must now pass through the Legislature and Congress.

Representatives from all five tribes told lawmakers in Albany yesterday that they support the governor’s settlement plan and view the proposed casinos as a boon not only to themselves but to Sullivan County, a once-thriving tourist destination that has struggled in recent decades following a dramatic decline in vacationers to the area.

The settlement would also generate tens of millions of dollars annually for the state at a time when legislators are desperate for new sources of revenue. With the state facing a court ruling demanding an increase of more than $23 billion in spending on New York City public schools in the next five years, gambling revenues are often cited as a solution.

The settlement also has the support of labor unions. The president of the New York State AFL-CIO, Dennis Hughes, told members of the state Senate’s Standing Committee on Racing, Gaming, and Wagering that the five casinos together would bring Sullivan County 50,000 new permanent jobs and thousands of construction jobs. He said the initiative also has the potential to lift many New Yorkers out of low-income jobs and into middle-income jobs.

“It is easy to see why we support the concept of casino gambling,” Mr. Hughes said.

A spokesman for a potential tenant with the most advanced siting plan, Caesars Entertainment, said his organization would be “proud” of the jobs it could bring to New York. “We’re ready to commence construction as soon as we get the final approvals,” the entertainment company’s senior vice president for corporate development, Peter George, said. “If we get the green light, we could start tomorrow and have the casino ready to open in two years.”

In the past several months, the casinos bill was negotiated largely in secret by lawyers for Mr. Pataki. It involves settlements with the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma, the Cayuga Indian Nation of New York, the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans, and the Akwesasne Mohawks. The first two tribes agreed to terms in November, and the other three the following month.

None of the tribes claims a large population in New York. All, however, trace their ancestry to this state. As part of the settlement, Mr. Pataki is granting the groups prime land for development, in exchange for the dropping of all claims.

A number of other states have been watching New York’s land dispute closely as they attempt to work out settlements of their own.

The casino plan is strongly opposed by some residents of Sullivan County. Two dozen protesters from a group known as Casino Free Sullivan traveled to Albany yesterday, setting up red anti-casino placards throughout the stuffy hearing room. The group’s president, Dick Riseling, testified that the plan would drain local resources. He also warned of increased crime and gambling addiction.

“Senators, for your own honor, for yours and our loved ones, for those who come after us, for our beautiful region, for the great needs and talents of our region’s people, for governmental sanity and good service,” the Sullivan County farmer said, “get out of the casino business. There is no way they will ever bring positive development.”

Mr. Pataki has set a September deadline for passage of the legislation, which he hoped would appeal to Sullivan County lawmakers because of its provision that each of the five tribes conduct an environmental-impact study. The county has already agreed to deals with two of the tribes, which will bring it annual payments of $15 million.