Images (10)
Document
| id |
id
555645627
|
|---|---|
| contentType |
contentType
document
|
| source |
source
import
|
Source image fields (6)
Extracted text
OCR Page 1 of 10May 16, 2000
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
THROUGH: JOHN PODESTA
FROM: LYNN CUTLER
CC: MARIA ECHAVESTE
SUBJECT: INDIAN ISSUES FOR CONNECTICUT TRIP
The following was prepared by the Bureau of Indian Affairs for you at my request because the
town leaders asked to meet with you on these issues and Senator Dodd, Senator Lieberman and
Congressman Gejdenson sent a letter supporting that request.
The BIA has issued proposed findings to acknowledge the Eastern Pequot and Paucatuck
Eastern Pequot petitioning groups as Indian tribes under federal law. The proposed findings
are now subject to public comment pursuant to 25 C.F.R. Sec. 83.10(I). The Connecticut
towns of Ledyard, North Stonington and Preston, through their attorneys, Perkins, Coie have
written to Secretary Babbitt and raised a number of alleged Administrative Procedure Act
violations in the proposed findings and have asked that the decision-maker in this case
(Assistant Secretary Kevin Gover) be recused. The Assistant Secretary consulted the Office
of the Solicitor on whether he should recuse himself from the Pequot/Paucatuck matters and
was advised that he did not need to do so.
The BIA and Assistant Secretary Gover carefully considered all of the evidence before them
prior to issuing the proposed finding. Since this finding is just a proposed finding, the towns
will have the opportunity over the next 180 days to comment.
Since the proposed finding is in the public comment period, the Department of the Interior
recommends against any White House meetings with the petitioning groups or the towns on
this subject matter. Any meetings without the requisite BIA historians, genealogists and
researchers would likely lead to confusion with the public and create problems with the
administrative record.
Relations
belongs_to