By Bruce MacDonald

Chairman Michael J. Thomas was sworn into his third term as a Chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council Tuesday, taking the oath of office during an inauguration ceremony that was marked by solemn pageantry and a spirited expression of Native pride.

    Two other Tribal Councilors, Charlene Jones and Rodney Butler, also elected to three-year terms in November, took the oath of office before an audience of several hundred that included many Tribal members, along with state and local government officials and invited guests.

    In an address to the gathering, Thomas spoke of the challenges ahead, but pointed to past Tribal leaders as a source of inspiration.

     "We stand on the shoulders of giants, as a Pequot society and as an American society," he said, adding "we have to continue to build upon and chase their dreams."

    He and several speakers, including Councilors Jones and Butler, emphasized the importance working together, maintaining their cultural identity and fighting for tribal sovereignty.

    Thomas spoke of the important role played by tribal elders, praising them for their guidance and wisdom. In particular, he singled out two former Tribal Council members, Richard F. Sebastian and Pedro Johnson.

    Johnson, who now heads the Tribal Nation's public affairs unit and served as master of ceremonies for the event, introduced the chairman and said the Tribal Nation owes a debt of gratitude to those who preceded him in office.

    He mentioned Richard "Skip" Hayward who led the Tribe, starting in the mid-1970s through the struggle for federal recognition and through the early years of commercial development on the reservation.   He also mentioned the man who succeeded Hayward in office, Kenneth Reels, who now serves as vice chairman of the Tribal Council.

    The event took place in the Gathering Space of the Tribe's museum and research center and was opened by Reels who conducted the traditional smudging ceremony. The award-winning Mystic River Drum performed during the ceremony.

    The opening and closing songs were performed by native flutist Patrick Mirable of Taos, New Mexico, who was accompanied on bass by Michael Kott. Mirable, of the Taos Peublo, is a well known dancer and musician who also performed at last year's inaugural event at Mashantucket.

    Chairman Thomas administered the oaths of office to members of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Gaming Commission, including Chairman Annette Stone, vice chairman, George Henningsen, and commissioners Tonya Dames and Matthew Cooper.

    Thomas cited the important work done by the commission in regulating gaming operations at the Tribe's Foxwoods Resort Casino, saying the group works in a way that allows the gaming operation to function with integrity in a business where that is critical to public acceptance.

    "These folks form the cornerstone of our integrity," he said. "We don't often recognize the importance of what they do as a group."

    The Tribe's military honor guard, composed of Native American veterans of the various U.S. military branches, participated in the ceremonies. They included Dan Collins, the Tribe's police chief, Kenneth Reels, Vernon Eleazer, who heads the Elders Council, and Timothy Walker.

    In addition to the honor guard, the procession that started the inauguration included the Little Fox Dancers, a group of young tribal members who perform native dances, and who are, in Thomas' words "the future of the Tribe."

    The mayors of Ledyard and Norwich, Susan Mendhenhal and Ben Lathrop, respectively, attended the inaugural, as did the members of local governing bodies from as far away as Bozrah and Waterford. State Senator-elect Andrew Maynard of Stonington and State Rep. Thomas Reynolds of Ledyard also attended.

    The secretary-treasurer of the Elders Council, Anthony Sebastian also addressed the gathering, bringing greetings from the elders.