NORTH STONINGTON, Conn. (AP) – The newly elected chairwoman of the Eastern Pequot Tribe says her people will never abandon their quest to receive federal recognition.

Katherine Sebastian Dring was the only candidate for the top leadership position in Saturday's tribal elections, The Day reported Sunday. Dennis Jenkins did not seek re-election to the council. Four vacancies remain open.

About 80 tribal members attended the vote at the tribe's annual meeting at its longhouse, Sebastian Dring said, and members are confident they can still regain federal recognition.

“For native people, the cause is never-ending,” she said shortly after her election. “We will never give up.”

The Eastern Pequots began pursuing federal recognition in the 1970s. But The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs dropped a provision last month allowing three state-recognized tribes in Connecticut – the Eastern Pequots, Schaghticokes and Golden Hill Paugussetts – to reapply for recognition.

Connecticut has two federally recognized tribes, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribe.

Sebastian Dring said the tribe originally pursued recognition to secure federal aid for health, education and housing programs and possible economic development. The Eastern Pequots won recognition in 2002 but it was withdrawn three years later when the state and Ledyard, North Stonington and Preston objected.

The tribe has between 1,100 and 1,200 members, but only about 30 live on the reservation, Sebastian Dring said.

“Primarily, that's because most of the reservation is undeveloped,” she said. “No paved roads, no electrical service, no water service. The tribal members who live there have had to pull family resources together to put in wells and whatever else they need. It's tough, so we hope to be able to put that infrastructure in place.”

She said the tribe overwhelmingly endorsed the initial phase of a development project that calls for a cultural center and eventually tribal housing.

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Information from: The Day, http://www.theday.com