The Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island held a ceremony this Sunday to mark the 10th anniversary of the state's raid of the reservation.

Then-governor Donald Carcieri (R) sent state troopers to the reservation on July 14, 2003, to shut down a smoke shop. Chief Matthew Thomas was among those arrested.

"Bottom line is we fought that day, and I’ll call it fighting because that’s all they know how to do with us since they landed here but we’re here, we’re always going to be here. We’re not going away," Thomas said at the ceremony, Rhode Island Public Radio reported.

The ceremony took place at the site of the shuttered smoke shop. The tribe uses the building for meetings.

Get the Story:
Narragansetts Remember Smoke Shop Raid 10 Years Later (Rhode Island Public Radio 7/15)
Narragansetts still angered by smoke-shop raid on 10th anniversary (The Providence Journal 7/15)
NEWS: Tribe reflects on smoke shop raid 10 years ago today (WPRO 7/12)

Related Stories:
Narragansett Tribe to observe 10th anniversary of state's raid (7/11)