"I have been observing with dismay the publicity that has followed the publication several months ago of Brett Fromson's book "Hitting the Jackpot: The Inside Story of the Richest Indian Tribe in History." As an American Indian and a member of a federally recognized tribe that also has a successful casino, I can no longer keep quiet about this book and its underlying messages.

The book is, at its core, a vicious and racist attack on American Indian identity in the 21st century. That its author is also making the rounds as an expert on Indian tribes and Indian gaming is extremely distressing; and I suspect I am not the only Indian person out here who is deeply offended by the "expertise" that he is toting to his primarily non-Indian audience. The Mashantucket Pequot Tribe has proved to be an easy and - I also should point out - probably quite lucrative target for the author."

Get the Story:
Ernie Stevens: Resilient Pequots Should Be Applauded, Not Criticized (The Hartford Courant 2/15)
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