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MAY 22, 2000

The Narragansett Tribe in Rhode Island is holding back construction projects in the state of Rhode Island. Seven tribes in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts have a contract with the state's Department of Transportation.

The Department had agreed to pay all the tribes for monitoring archaeological digs that occur on their ancestral lands, but a revised contract which increased the amount of money which would go to the tribes hasn't been signed by the Narragansett yet. The Department may reconsider the whole deal if delays continue.

The Department also decided not to compenstate state recognized tribes, citing federal law which prohibits the use of federal funds for that purpose. Of the seven, only the Narragansett, the Mashantucket Pequot of Connecticut, and the Aquinnah Wampanoags of Massachusetts are federally recognized.

Get the Story:
Indian contract dispute threatens state's projects (AP 5/22)
Contract rift with tribes may threaten DOT projects (The Providence Journal 5/20)

Relevant Links:
Rhode Island State Department of Transportation www.dot.state.ri.us