Schaghticoke people facts for kids

Location of the Schaghticoke Reservation

The Schaghticoke (pronounced SKAT-i-kohk or SKAT-i-kuuk) are a Native American tribe. They are part of the Eastern Woodlands group. Historically, they were made up of different tribes. These included the Mahican, Potatuck, Weantinock, Tunxis, and Podunk peoples. They lived in what is now New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.

Many tribes joined together near the Connecticut-New York border. This happened after they lost many people and lands. Some Schaghticoke and other tribe members were even sold into slavery in the Caribbean in the 1600s.

Their reservation was set up in 1736 by the Colony of Connecticut. It is one of the oldest in the United States. Around 1740, about 500 Schaghticoke people lived there. Today, the tribe owns less than a fifth of the original land. Their reservation is about 400 acres (1.6 km2). It is located near the New York border in Kent, Connecticut. This area is in Litchfield County, west of the Housatonic River. The state holds this land in trust for the tribe.

In 1986, the tribe divided into two groups. One group is called the Schaghticoke Indian Tribe (SIT). The other is known as the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation (STN). The Schaghticoke people have a long history with both the former Connecticut colony and the state. Most members live off the reservation, in and around Kent.

In 2004, the STN became the fourth tribe in Connecticut to get federal recognition. But in 2005, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) changed its mind. They took back the recognition. This happened after strong opposition from the state and local governments. Some landowners and members of the SIT also opposed it. The Schaghticoke were one of three Connecticut tribes denied recognition during the George W. Bush administration. There were concerns about tribes opening casinos.

The Schaghticoke Tribal Nation tried to get back about 2100 acres of land. Most of this land is undeveloped. It is owned by the Kent School, Connecticut Light & Power, and some private owners. After the BIA denied federal recognition again, a U.S. District Court dismissed the land claim case in 2010. The court said the STN did not meet the requirements for "community" and "political influence." This was because many Schaghticoke people refused to join the STN. The tribe appealed this decision, but higher courts also denied their requests. In October 2010, the Supreme Court of the United States refused to review the case.

What Does Schaghticoke Mean?

The name Schaghticoke has many spellings. These include Pachgatgoch, Scatacook, and Scotticook. It comes from an Algonquian word, Pishgachtigok. This word means "the meeting of two waterways" or "Gathered Waters." This might refer to where the Ten Mile River and the Housatonic River meet. This is where Mauwehu, son of Chief Squantz, moved most of the Schaghticoke people. Their language and culture are based on Algonquian, with some Iroquoian influence.

How the Schaghticoke Tribe is Governed

The Schaghticoke Tribal Nation (STN) has an elected tribal council. This council represents its members. They also have a chief-for-life, Richard L. Velky, who was elected in 1987. The Schaghticoke Indian Tribe (SIT) also has a tribal council and a chief, Alan Russell. The STN and SIT have their own tribal rules, called constitutions. Members from certain families, like the Bradleys and Kilsons, are found in both groups. The Schaghticoke Indian Tribe in Kent, Connecticut, has 110 members.

Understanding Land Issues

In 1724, settlers from Fairfield, Connecticut wanted to create a new town. They tried to buy land from Chief Squantz. Some say he refused to sell and moved away. He died in the winter of 1724–1725. His four sons also refused to sign land deeds. Four years later, settlers called "The Proprietors" got other native people to sign deeds. These people might not have had the right to sell the land. The settlers "bought" about 31,000 acres. This land is now New Fairfield and Sherman. They paid about 300 dollars. The deed was recorded in 1729 and is now in Hartford.

The Schaghticoke tribe received a reservation in 1736. It is one of the oldest in the United States. But their original 2500 acres (10 km2) have shrunk. Today, they have a 400-acre (1.6 km2) reservation. It is on the west side of the Housatonic River. This land is home to rattlesnakes, grouse, and other animals. The tribe once owned land from the Massachusetts border to the Ten Mile River.

Between 1801 and 1911, state-appointed agents sold over 2,000 acres of tribal land. This happened without federal government approval. Tribal leaders say these sales broke the Indian Non-Intercourse Act. This law, passed between 1790 and 1834, said only the federal government could deal with Indian nations. It also said the federal government had to approve all land sales.

The Schaghticoke Tribal Nation (STN) has sued to get back about 2100 acres. Much of this land is in Kent, across the Housatonic River from the current reservation. Part of the private Kent School campus is on this disputed land. Another large part is owned by the Preston Mountain Club, a private fishing club.

The Schaghticoke filed land rights lawsuits in 1985, 1998, and 2000. The STN led the last two cases. By 2010, these cases were combined. The defendants included the federal government, the Connecticut Light & Power Company, and the Kent School. In 1993, the federal government offered to swap land with Connecticut. This was to help restore the Appalachian Trail. The STN opposed the state's plan to exchange less land. They threatened to block access to the Trail through the reservation.

In October 2010, a federal court dismissed the land case. The judge said that since the BIA denied federal recognition to the STN in 2005, the STN could not prove its land rights. The court ruled that if STN was not a federally recognized tribe, the state could not have broken the Non-Intercourse Act.

However, the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation appealed this decision. They argued that a tribe does not need federal recognition to sue under the 1790 Non-Intercourse Act. In November 2012, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals set a deadline for new arguments in the land claims case.

Housatonic River Pollution Concerns

The Schaghticoke reservation is next to the Housatonic River. This river is polluted with PCBs. These chemicals were made by Monsanto and put into the river by General Electric. This happened at their factory in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The pollution limits how the river can be used. It also creates health risks for people living along the river. They cannot eat fish from the river.

Seeking Federal Recognition

In 1981, the Schaghticoke Indian Tribe (SIT) asked for federal recognition. Their family history expert showed that four main family lines make up most of the tribe's members today. These are the Cogswells, Kilsons, Harrises, and Bradleys. As the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation (STN) started its recognition process, some leaders disagreed with the STN leadership. This led to a political disagreement that is still ongoing.

Richard Velky is the chief of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation. The BIA has told them they cannot reorganize. They said the Schaghticoke Indian Tribe (SIT) is the true continuation of the tribe. Alan Russell is the Tribal Chief of the SIT and has led since 1983. Neither chief represents all Schaghticoke people. Many choose not to join either group.

In December 2002, the BIA first found that the STN did not meet two requirements for recognition. These were proof of a strong community and continuous political leadership. The tribe then gave more documents to the BIA. In January 2004, the Department of Interior recognized the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation. The STN was the fourth Connecticut tribe to get federal recognition. The others were the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, the Mohegan Tribe, and the Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation.

The Connecticut governor and others immediately opposed the BIA's decision. They worried about the effects of gambling casinos on communities. They feared the tribe would use recognition to claim land and build a casino. The Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation had also received federal recognition in 2002, which the state also opposed. The Mohegan Indian Tribe and Mashantucket Pequot had already built very successful casino resorts.

In 2005, Representative Nancy Johnson tried to pass a law to cancel the STN's recognition. Five groups asked the Interior Board of Indian Appeals (IBIA) to review the BIA's decision. These groups included a group of individuals, the Town of Cornwall, the State of Connecticut (with many towns and cities), the Kent School, Connecticut Light and Power, the Preston Mountain Club, and the Schaghticoke Indian Tribe (SIT).

On May 12, 2005, the IBIA sent the STN's case back to the BIA for another look. On October 11, 2005, the Office of Federal Acknowledgment (OFA) decided to deny federal recognition to the STN. The same thing happened to the Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation. The OFA also denied their federal recognition.

The Schaghticoke Tribal Nation was the first tribe to have its federal recognition taken away.

The STN appealed the BIA's decision. But in August 2009, a federal judge supported it. The STN sued in federal court, but the case was dismissed. They appealed again, but it was denied in October 2009. The STN had hoped to build a third casino in Connecticut if they were federally recognized.

In 2015, the Bureau of Indian Affairs made new rules. They said tribes that had been denied federal recognition before could not ask again.

Other Legal Matters

On January 29, 2009, STN members and supporters gathered at the Connecticut state capital. They asked Governor Jodi Rell to stop land being taken from the reservation. They also wanted to stop the destruction of important sites there. They wanted people to know about the tribe's ongoing fight for federal recognition.

Chief Richard L. Velky, who has led the STN since 1987, said, "They will never finish us off, and they will never take our land."

In 2011, the two tribal groups, STN and SIT, briefly worked together. They tried to remove Michael Rost, a non-Schaghticoke person, from reservation land. Both STN and SIT members said Rost was taking and selling lumber illegally. They also said he built roads without permission and destroyed old archaeological sites. They took him to court to have him removed.

A Connecticut Superior Court ordered Rost to leave that year. State Judge Corinne L. Klatt first ruled that the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation and Richard Velky were the rightful leaders. However, this ruling was later changed. Judge Klatt then recognized the SIT and Alan Russell as the authority on the reservation. Rost appealed the eviction order. On September 18, 2012, the appellate court supported the eviction. They also clarified that the "Schaghticoke Indians" as a whole, not specifically STN or SIT, had the right to decide who lives on the reservation.

Schaghticoke Legacy

• The town of Schaghticoke, New York, is named after the tribe.
• The village of Schaghticoke, in that town, is also named for the tribe.
• Schaghticoke Middle School in New Milford, Connecticut is named for the tribe.
• Squantz Pond in New Fairfield, Connecticut, is named for Chief Squantz. He was a leader of the Schaghticoke people until his death in 1724–1725.
• Lake Waramaug in Warren and Washington, Connecticut, is named for Chief Waramaug. He was a leader of the Potatuck people from 1725 to 1735.