Tribe members say they turned to capitalism to protect their roots

June 17, 1999
Web posted at: 10:19 p.m. EDT (0219 GMT)

From Correspondent Maria Hinojosa

NEW LONDON, Connecticut (CNN) -- Two decades ago, the Mashantucket Pequot Indian Reservation, on a span of wooded Connecticut land, was in danger of being lost as tribal ranks dwindled.

So to preserve their ancestral homelands and keep a connection with their historical roots, tribal elders turned to the spirit of American capitalism. They decided to open a casino complex called Foxwoods.

The Mashantucket Pequots won't say what the annual profits are from Foxwoods -- and they don't have to because they are their own government. But an average of 45,000 people visit every day of the year.

Some members of the tribe, including Michael Thomas, have prospered. He came back to the reservation in 1984 with everything he owned stuffed in one duffel bag. Now, his fortunes have skyrocketed as a member of the tribal council.

"We are very comfortable. I'm confident my children will have Ivy League educations without having to worry about scholarships," Thomas said.

In the beginning, some Pequots expressed their moral opposition to native people running a gambling business. But Thomas said critics must realize that the Pequots are part of modern America.

"Most folks in the general public ... would be comforted if they came here and found my people in wigwams and long houses and buckskin dress," he said. "I think that as other people have evolved and changed, they have expected us to remain stagnant."

While there is very little evidence of the Pequot nation at Foxwoods, one gambler felt the weight of history as he played.

"We took a lot of their rights away," he said. "I think maybe it's good for them that they're getting some of it back."

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