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NOVEMBER 15, 2000

The vice chairman of the Eastern Pequot Tribe of Connecticut wants to know how much money the town of North Stonington has spent on opposing the federal recognition of two Pequot tribes.

Mark Sebastian has filed a freedom of information request to find out how much money the town has spent. He wants a report of spending on the town's legal firm as well as spending on a researcher hired by the town.

A report by the researcher, James Lynch, was heavily criticized at a public meeting the Bureau of Indian Affairs held in August to discuss the federal recognition petitions of the Eastern Pequot and Paucatuck Eastern Pequot tribes. The report alleges the current membership of the tribes' do not descend from the historical Pequot tribe.

But the BIA researcher said she double-checked Lynch's report and found it filled with misleading and inaccurate information.

In The New London Day, an official with the town said about $200,000 has been spent by his two and two neighboring towns. Another town official told Indianz.Com he didn't know how much the towns spent but that the issue had taken up an overwhelming majority of his time for the past two years.

Get the Story:
Eastern Pequot Official Wonders If Town is Wasting Its Money (The New London Day 11/15)

Related Stories:
BIA: Towns not reliable (Tribal Law 8/9)