Senator William H. Nickerson (R-Greenwich) issued the following statement regarding the Bureau of Indian Appeals (BIA) reversal of prior recognition granted to the Schaghticoke and the historical Eastern Pequot tribes:

"I am delighted that the BIA has reversed course and revoked both its ill-considered decisions to recognize these tribes. This is such a reversal, which is very rare in BIA history, that it is tantamount to recognition by the BIA that it is a broken agency that made unlawful decisions and has allowed itself to be pressured by phalanxes of lawyers, lobbyists, flak men and political pitch men all seeking to twist the process not to celebrate Indian culture but to build casinos. It is an amazing coincidence that such a reversal took place the day after Governor Rell testified before Senator McCain's Committee, making exactly this point.

The fight is not yet over. We must press on with renewed vigor to abolish the BIA as we now know it, call for a moratorium on future recognitions and rebuild the agency around lines which emphasize facts, reason and fairness over political expediency, often running roughshod over local interests."