A recent shakeup at the top levels of the Bureau of Indian Affairs has turned the agency into "a riderless horse that is galloping out of control in the wrong direction," a critic says.

Connecticut attorney general Richard Blumenthal said he didn't think Aurene Martin's resignation had anything to do with her decision to recognize the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation. A former BIA spokesperson now working for Interior Secretary Gale Norton's office said the same thing.

But Blumenthal said Martin's departure raises the question of who is in charge. Martin had been handling all federal recognition, gaming and gaming-related land acquisitions. Since another top aide, Woodrow Hopper, is being reassigned, it is unclear who will take over these duties.

Get the Story:
Official In Tribal Ruling Resigns (The Hartford Courant 8/14)
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Several Top BIA Managers To Resign (The New London Day 8/14)
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Top aides ousted at BIA's Washington office (8/14)