The Constitution of the United States has a scant three references to Indians: two in Article I Section 2 providing that Indians would not be taxed, and one in Section 8 defining Congress’s power to regulate commerce with Indian tribes.  Thus, in large measure, the Constitution envisions Indian tribes to be outside of the political system of the United States and recognizes that tribes are sovereign. For a tribe to get recognition by the federal government, the tribe must file a petition with the Department of the Interior.  The criteria is extensive and are “meant to ensure that recognized tribes are distinct autonomous communities, existing as such since historical times and recognized as such since prior to 1900.”   In Connecticut, each of the tribes have had their own battles with becoming recognized by the federal government.  At this moment, the Mohegan and the Mashantucket Pequots have federal recognition while Golden Hill Paugussetts, Eastern Pequots, the Schaghticokes are recognized only by the State of Connecticut. 

Sources: 

• “The Constitution of the United States,” National Archives and Records Administration

• “Federal Recognition,” National Congress of American Indians, https://www.ncai.org/policy-issues/tribal-governance/federal-recognition

• “About the Mashantucket (Western) Pequot Tribal Nation,” The Mashantucket (Western) Pequot Tribal Nation, https://www.mptn-nsn.gov/default.aspx 

The Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation has been working towards federal recognition since 1978. In 2002, the Eastern Pequots were federally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. However, there were concerns about the potential for a new casino in the region from the towns of North Stonington, Ledyard and Preston and together they appealed the decision. In 2005, the Bureau of Indian Affairs revoked federal recognition for the Eastern Pequots.  Valerie Gambrell, a member of the Eastern Pequots and military veteran, said “I’m not looking at federal recognition to tell me who I am. I already know I’m Eastern Pequot. I don’t need the white man to tell me. We want to take care of our own people and we can’t do that—education, health care, our kids aren’t able to go to college because they don’t have the finances.” 

Sources:

• Amy Martin, "This Hard Land"  https://www.conncoll.edu/news/cc-magazine/past-issues/2020-issues/winter-2020/this-hard-land/ 

The Golden Hill Paugussett Tribe filed for federal recognition first in April 1982 and has long sought this recognition.  In September 1996, the Bureau of Indian Affairs declined to acknowledge the tribe’s recognition at the federal level. After another attempt and some 48,000 documents cover over 350 years of history, the Bureau of Indian Affairs once again declined their federal recognition in 2018. The Bureau cited that there was a gap in the Tribe’s 350-year genealogy.  The Tribe is also looking to settle its land claims in Connecticut which include approximately 720,000 acres in numerous towns from Waterbury to Greenwich. 

Sources:

• “Golden Hill Paugussett Denied Federal Recognition,” ICT News, September 12, 2018, https://ictnews.org/archive/golden-hill-paugussett-denied-federal-recognition. 

The Schaghticokes have sought federal recognition since 1981.  In 1986, the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation split with the Schaghticoke Indian Tribe and petitioned the government for federal recognition. In 2002 during a preliminary ruling, the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs denied the petition on the grounds that it had “a cohesive community or maintained continuous political leadership.”   Connecticut then recognized the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation as an official state tribe in 2004 and the Bureau of Indian Affairs granted it federal recognition.  However, the battle was not over then. After an appeal from the State of Connecticut, the Kent School Corporation, Connecticut Light and Power Company and the Town of Kent, the Bureau of Indian Affairs rescinded the federal recognition on the grounds that they had “had incorrectly used state recognition as a substantial portion of the evidence in its decision to grant federal recognition.”  Schaghticoke Tribal Nation is one of only two tribes to have their federal recognition rescinded. According to an affidavit of former Bureau of Indian Affairs Assistant Secretary Aurene Martin, their petition was “among the best and most thoroughly researched petitions ever reviewed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.”   In 2022 after a lengthy three-year process, the Schaghticoke Indian Tribe filed a petition with the Bureau of Indian affairs seeking federal recognition.  It remains to be seen what the outcome of this petition will be for the Schaghticokes.

Sources: 

• Duke Chen, “Schaghticoke Petition for Federal Recognition and Land Claims,” Connecticut General Assembly, https://www.cga.ct.gov/2013/rpt/2013-R-0386.htm.

• “Quest for Federal Recognition,” Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, September 28, 2020, http://schaghticoke.com/quest-for-federal-recognition/

• Sandra Diamond Fox, “Kent-Based American Indian Tribe Is Seeking Federal Recognition. the Town Has Concerns.,” CT Insider, April 13, 2022, https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/Kent-based-American-Indian-tribe-is-seeking-17073798.php.