Conn. paper looks back on 20 years of Indian affairs

FROM THE ARCHIVE

URL: https://www.indianz.com/News/archives/002210.asp

Monday, October 27, 2003

To mark the 20th anniversary of a controversial land claim and recognition act, The New London Day of Connecticut published several articles on Sunday tackling various Indian issues. All the usual suspects are there.

Congressman Frank Wolf (R-Va.), an opponent to all forms of gambling, says Indian gaming has failed because not all Indians are rich. "Our current system is unfair to both native and non-Native Americans," he writes. "If America continues to rely on gambling for the future welfare of Native Americans, I fear most will continue to live in serious poverty. At the same time, the victims of the gambling industry will continue to mount."

Ernie Stevens, president of the National Indian Gaming Association, cites the positive impacts of Indian gaming. "Tribes now have schools, health clinics, water systems and roads that exist only because of Indian gaming," he writes. "They still have a long way to go, but Indian gaming offers hope."

Jeff Benedict, author of a controversial book on the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, writes about the 1983 law that settled the tribe's land claim in exchange for some land and federal recognition. "The Settlement Act's recognition of the Pequots is akin to Arthur Anderson certifying Enron's books," he writes. "The proper forms may have been filled out in triplicate, with the appropriate boxes checked; but compliance with form can only mask fraud for so long."

Michael Thomas, chairman of the tribe, offers a different view of the act. "Today, we can cite numbers that address the impact gaming has had on us and the region, but they don't tell the whole story," he writes. "It is harder to define the effect on the human spirit, the sense of accomplishment and pride we feel. The journey has been our unique way of pursuing the American Dream."

Tom Turreen, the lawyer who handled the tribe's claims and other claims, says the law righted a historical wrong. "The law is here to protect all citizens even when it turns out to benefit the poor and powerless," he writes. "Nowhere has that principle been more aptly demonstrated than here."

The leaders of three towns who have fought the tribe many times over the years say they have only run into problems since the act was passed. From traffic to crime to taxes to litigation, "Little did the residents of these three towns realize the impact this legislation would have on their lives in the coming years," they write.

Landowner David Holdridge acknowledges the difficulties but says "it's time to stop the self-pity and the casting of blame." "If we are to influence the future, we must move on without grudges or bitterness," he writes. "We cannot take control of our destiny until we accept those things that are irreversible."

Finally, The Day takes in "The Wonder of it all" in an editorial. There are good and bad to the tribe's recognition and to the casinos it brought, the paper says.