Theresa Hayward Bell, the former executive director of the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, says her decision to resign was tied to the tribe's loss of culture.

Bell, the brother of former chairman Richard �Skip� Hayward and the granddaughter of Pequot matriarch Elizabeth George, says money has corrupted the tribe. She says tribal members have lost sight of their traditions and history, goals the museum was designed to further.

"�As soon as the money came in, people wanted more and more of it. The only way to undo it now is when it no longer exists," she tells The New London Day.

Bell blames the tribal council for not supporting the $194 million museum. She says council members refused to meet with her even as they repeatedly cut the budget.

Kim Hatcher-White, a tribal member, has taken over the job and Bell says she is confident with her replacement. The council also added $1 million to the budget, after Bell announced her resignation.

Get the Story:
Cutting The Cord (The New London Day 11/5)
pwday

Relevant Links:
Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center - http://www.pequotmuseum.org

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