phone: 202 630 8439
|
The Week in Review
ending May 20
|
Clockwise from top left:
Pequot Chairman Kenneth Reels
Cerro Grande Fire
Outgoing Crow Chair Clara Nomee
Fake arts and crafts |
Missed our stories? All the headlines for the week can be found
here.
Percolatin' over the Pequots
We never knew that Indians were so threatening, but when you're the owner
of the world's largest casino, there might be trouble.
Jeff Benedict's Without Reservation (read our
review) seems
to be the roadmap for the local towns to call for an investigation
into the Pequot Tribes of Connecticut. Stopping the expansion of
the Mashantucket reservation and the federal recognition of the Eastern
Pequot and Paucatuck Eastern Pequot tribes are at the top of their list,
althought it has taken Benedict more than 353 pages and the towns more
than 30 pages just to make those points.
The week started off interestingly with Kevin Gover adding his two
cents into the entire matter. His major point: stop fighting each
other, advice which applies equally to the tribes and the towns. Recognition for
the Eastern Pequot and Paucatuck Eastern Pequot would probably happen
a lot quicker if they joined together once again. Paucatuck Chief James
Cunha disagrees. The Pequot War is over, folks, just be friends already!
While the towns were busy fighting the Pequots in a town forum that pitted
Indian against non-Indian, Mashantucket Chairman Kenneth Beals showed up
on a local cable access talk show to prove that he really is a Pequot. Who
knew The Renshaw Report was such hard-hitting television. When
CBS finally airs its Pequot segment on Tuesday, entitled
"Wampum Wonderland" (what else), they'll have a lot to live up to.
The towns might also want to take more notice of Beals. While President Clinton
turned down their request for a meeting, Beals says that he met with
Clinton at a Democratic National Committee Fundraiser in the area. We wonder
if the Pequots' wealth had something to do with such easy access? The same
wealth that makes them the biggest taxpayer in the town of North Stonington
and has contributed billions of dollars to the state of Connecticut...
Connecticut Governor John Rowland also put out a plea which should make
all of the Indian law experts see dollar signs of their own. His state
needs plenty of help dealing with Indian affairs, which is clearly evidenced
by the towns' letters to Bruce Babbit and Gover. We aren't sure who is
more confused on Indian law: the towns or Benedict.
The towns have finally figured out what Indian people have known
all along: that the BIA is just one huge bureaucracy. Reading their
demands of Babbitt, Gover, and Congress makes one wonder, do they really
think the BIA can be effective for white people? The saga continues...
Get the Story:
Gover
goes into the fray (The Talking Circle 5/15)
Author
of Pequot book confronted (The Talking Circle 5/15)
Eastern
Pequot deny business deal (Money Matters 5/15)
Jeff
Benedict rants (The Talking Circle 5/15)
Tribe
wants to remain separate (Tribal Law 5/16)
Governor
seeks Indian law experts (Tribal Law 5/16)
Foxwoods:
$66M in slots (Money Matters 5/16)
Towns
to hold anti-Pequot forum (The Talking Circle 5/17)
Clinton
too busy for towns (The Talking Circle 5/17)
Casinos
post record wins (Money Matters 5/17)
Congressman:
Pequots are Indians (Tribal Law 5/17)
Mashantucket
Chairman to prove heritage (The Talking Circle 5/18)
Towns
discuss Pequots with Congressman (Tribal Law 5/18)
Chairman
criticizes towns' forum (The Talking Circle 5/18)
Forum
turns into debate (The Talking Circle 5/19)
Chairman
traces lineage (The Talking Circle 5/19)
Lawyer
defends Pequot (The Talking Circle 5/19)
Can
CT handle more casinos? (Money Matters 5/19)
Towns
continue fight (Tribal Law 5/19)
more top stories
We're not done yet, read for more the week's
top stories.
|
|
|
|
Printer friendly version