"It's not easy being a Nipmuc. Just ask Walter A. Vickers.

He grew up in Northboro and remembers his classmates and neighbors calling him all sorts of names, none of them good. More painful were the Western movies. "The cowboys always wore the white hats," Vickers said. "I could never be the cowboy."

Nor, if the Bush administration has its way, an Indian. For the last 30 years, the federal government has refused to recognize Nipmuc Nation, a designation that would enable the tribe to qualify for federal grants for land, housing, education and health -- and acquire gaming licenses."

Get the Story:
Howard Manly: Nipmuc Nation should not be denied (The Boston Herald 6/5)

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