An anthropologist who has worked with the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation of Connecticut said the Bureau of Indian Affairs' decision to reject the tribe was likely based on politics.

The state has recognized the tribe for more than 300 years and set aside a reservation for the tribe. But state politicians lobbied the BIA and said the tribe wasn't real.

Anthropologist Lucianne Lavin said the state's positions were contrary to the record. �How can you not have a tribe when you still have a state department overseeing the tribe?� she said at a talk at Connecticut College, The New London Day reported. �Difficult.�

The tribe is seeking federal court review of the BIA decision.

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Anthropologist Questions Schaghticoke Tribe's Loss Of Federal Recognition (The New London Day 4/11)
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Relevant Links:
Schaghticoke Tribal Nation - http://www.schaghticoke.com
Interior Board of Indian Appeals Decisions - http://www.ibiadecisions.com

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