Schaghticoke Tribal Nation Denied Recognition Hearing

The Schaghticoke Tribal Nation has been denied a hearing on federal recognition in the Supreme Court, but the tribe says it won’t give up its fight. WNPR’s Harriet Jones reports.

 

The Schaghticokes are based in Kent, the site of their reservation which has been recognized by the state since the 1700s. In 2004, the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs granted the tribe official recognition, but the state of Connecticut raised objections, saying there were gaps in the evidence relating the Schaghticokes social continuity and political governance. That led the federal bureau to reverse its decision, a move that’s been disputed in the courts ever since.

 

This week the tribe learned that the U.S. Supreme Court won’t hear its appeal, but tribal chief Richard Velky says that won’t be the end of the road. The Schaghticokes now have 25 days to request a rehearing before the court, and if that fails they may go to Congress to press their case. At stake in federal recognition is a 2,000 acre land claim that the tribe is trying to uphold in Kent, along with the potential right to open a casino near the town.

 

For WNPR, I'm Harriet Jones.