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MONDAY, JULY 23, 2001

Searching through old records, tripping over gravestones and wading through books are just some of the tasks tribal members of the Nipmuc Nation have undertaken to complete their bid to gain federal recognition.

Their efforts appear to have paid off, provided that newly sworn-in Assistant Secretary Neal McCaleb signs on off a document which granted the tribe preliminary acknowledgment. Former Bureau of Indian Affairs officials made the decision on the last full day of the Clinton administration.

The tribe's historic government-to-government relationship with the state of Massachusetts was affirmed in a 1976 executive order issued by then Governor Michael Dukakis.

Get the Story:
An arduous journey to legitimacy (The Norwich Bulletin 7/22)
Federal recognition just beginning of gaming establishment process (The Norwich Bulletin 7/22)

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