Law | Federal Recognition

Schaghticoke Tribal Nation sues for stolen land in Connecticut






Schaghticoke Mountain on the Schaghticoke Reservation in Connecticut. Photo by Morrow Long

The Schaghticoke Tribal Nation filed a lawsuit against the state of Connecticut on Thursday, seeking $610 million in damages for stolen land.

The tribe's official dealings with Connecticut go back to the Colonial era. The lawsuit alleges the state took the tribe's land and failed to account for its lands and trust funds for more than 250 years.

"We see that there has been an unjust hit here and we are looking for a fair financial settlement with the state of Connecticut," Chief Richard Velky told The Hartford Courant.

The complaint in Schaghticoke Tribal Nation v. Connecticut was filed in state court. A prior land claim failed in federal court because the Schaghticokes failed to demonstrate their existence as Indian tribe

Read More on the Story:
Schaghticoke Indians Want $600 Million For Lost Land (The Hartford Courant 10/14)
Tribe To Connecticut: You Owe Us $610M For Taking Our Land (Connecticut News Junkie 10/14)
Joe Lieberman sues CT for $610M for tribe he fought as senator (The Connecticut Mirror 10/14)
Schaghticoke tribe files $610 million suit against Connecticut for land taken in 1800s (CNN Wire 10/14)

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