Proposed changes easing the requirements for Indian tribes to gain federal recognition would endanger the integrity of the process, while potentially generating many problems and plenty of litigation, particularly here in Connecticut.

While some tribes have faced frustration and failure in trying to gain federal acknowledgment and the benefits it provides, that does not justify this move to water down the rules.

The latest proposed rules appear to offer greater protections for Connecticut and local towns than an earlier draft, but with clever lawyering tribes previously denied federal recognition may make a case for a second try.

The new rules could also pave the way for individuals of questionable Native American heritage to gain the same recognition and benefits that other tribes only obtained by maintaining and documenting long-standing tribal identity. It would cheapen what they achieved.