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MAY 15, 2000

With two Pequot tribes in Connecticut seeking federal recognition status and a book about another garnering national attention, Kevin Gover voiced his own opinions about the controversies. He was featured in a story in The New London Day on May 14.

The Paucatuck Eastern Pequot and the Eastern Pequot each received preliminary federal recognition from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in March. According to Gover, their applications were some of the strongest he has seen since becoming head of the BIA.

But in the article, he criticizes the two groups for fighting against each other along political and ethnic lines.

Like their neighbors the Mashantucket Pequot, who have been federally recognized since 1983, the Eastern Pequot descend from the historical Pequot tribe. A decades old argument resulted in the formation of the Paucatuck Eastern tribe in the 1970s.

The Eastern Pequot tribe is larger, with 750 members. The Paucatuck have 150. The Eastern Pequot have been willing to accept the Paucatuck into their tribe and receive recognition as one group.

If that happens, the two tribes would have to reconcile more than just political differences. Golf resort developer David Rosow is the financial backer for the Eastern Pequot. Gaming mogul Donald Trump, for the Paucatuck. Rosow earlier hinted that Trump would be out of the picture if the two tribes become one once again.

Gover also criticized three Connecticut towns who are opposing the two tribes' recognition.

"It is dehumanizing to suggest that there is some magic amount of Indian blood that is sufficient or insufficient to make one an Indian," Gover told The Day, regarding the towns' doubts of the genealogy of the Pequots.

Genealogy is a hot topic, particularly with the recent publication of Without Reservation. In it, author Jeff Benedict argues the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation are not related to the historic Pequot tribe at all.

The towns of North Stonington, Preston, and Ledyard have consistently argued against federal recognition. They have seen the book as a political aid.

Recently, the towns have asked President Clinton to meet with them, threatened to sue Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt, and questioned the ability for the BIA and Kevin Gover to recognize tribes.

So far, the BIA has been trying to comply with the towns' requests for documents under the Freedom of Information Act. The towns say they need all the documents in order to comment properly on the tribes' recognition.

The towns have a 180-day period during which they can respond before the BIA makes a final determination of status.

But in the event of federal recognition for both tribes, or even just one tribe, it is not likely the towns and others will stop their fight against tribes in Connecticut.

The CBS program 60 Minutes II is due to present a piece on Without Reservation on Tuesday, May 16.

Only on Indianz.Com:
Our review of Without Reservation by Jeff Benedict.

Relevant Links:
From the BIA: Eastern Pequot Preliminary Recognition
Paucatuck Eastern Pequot Preliminary Recognition

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