"There certainly have been better moments in recent history for Lynn Malerba to take over as the first female tribal chairwoman of the Mohegan tribe.

After a stunning run beginning in 1996, gambling revenues are tanking. There are serious questions about whether Connecticut has had its fill of casinos.

The tribe has a giant resort — Mohegan Sun — that it must fill with gamblers 24 hours a day. Competition now looms over nearly every border for the Mohegans, operators of a billion-dollar operation that employs 10,000 people. The golden goose of gambling remains virtually the only source of income for the 1,800-member tribe.

Troubling, but if you're a Mohegan with a sense of history, you might not really see it this way.

This is a tribe that was down to a couple of dozen members a century ago. For generations, Mohegans kept their culture alive through a small church in Montville, even as they were forbidden to speak their language and children were shipped off by the state for a Christian upbringing.

Survival is a story that the Mohegans know well.

Malerba, who won the most votes in recent Mohegan elections, grew up in a family active in tribal politics. Her mother, Loretta Roberge, spent decades on the Mohegan tribal council and played an important role in the tribe's successful bid for federal recognition. Malerba took over the top job just four years after her election to the council.

She is a descendant of Uncas, an Indian leader still legendary across Indian Country. Revered by Mohegans, Uncas is remembered by European descendants as the "great friend" of Capt. John Mason, who vanquished the Pequots centuries ago."

Get the Story:
Rick Green: New Leader Of Mohegan Tribe Facing Many Challenges (The Hartford Courant 10/13)