'The community is pulling together in these challenging economic times, and we are eagerly embracing our future with a strong determination to continue growing our business as a major economic force in southeastern Connecticut,' the council said in a statement. The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council said it stands united and focused on success at the Foxwoods Resort Casino.

'I just don't know what's going to happen.' 'Our stress levels are very high up here,' she said.

People who traced their bloodlines to Pequots counted in a 1900 census were allowed to join the tribe, which now has roughly 900 members.Ī tribal elder, Loretta Libby, said many worry about what will come next. The Pequots won federal recognition and opened a bingo hall in the 1980s before hitting the jackpot with the start of casino gambling at Foxwoods in 1992. The affluence vanished as quickly as it came for the tribe, which had only one person living on the reservation in the early 1970s. It all contributes to one of the most tumultuous periods in the recent history of the Pequots, who own and operate the casino that made their reservation one of the wealthiest communities in America. FBI agents have been visiting the reservation and asking about tribal finances, according to two people with knowledge of tribal activity who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to protect their relationships with the tribe. The money is not the only source of anxiety. 'I'm not happy, but you have to deal with what life gives you.' I can be poor again,' tribal member Gina Brown-Congdon, 59, said. The tribe has opened a food pantry for needy families, counselors have provided guidance on how to pursue jobs and members have been left to ponder the end of what once seemed a sure bet. This month, with Foxwoods struggling with debt exceeding $2 billion, payments to members stopped.

Foxwoods casino financial statements