[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 42 (Tuesday, April 12, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3479-S3480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          TRIBUTE TO RALPH STURGES, CHIEF OF THE MOHEGAN TRIBE

 Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I honor Ralph Sturges, Chief of the 
Mohegan Tribe. On April 13, Chief Sturges will receive the Citizen of 
the Year award from the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut.
  Chief Sturges is known throughout southeastern Connecticut for his 
leadership, his community involvement, and his humility. Even as he has 
risen in the ranks of the Mohegan Tribe, from serving as a member of 
the Tribal Council in the 1980s to becoming lifetime chief in 1991, he 
has never lost a sense of who he is or what he stands for.
  Born in 1918, Ralph Sturges served in our armed forces during the 
World War II as a security and intelligence officer. He went on to work 
for the Philadelphia Legal Aid Society and the Salvation Army, as well 
as the Legnos Boat Company.
  Chief Sturges was renowned for his skills as a craftsman, 
particularly as a sculptor of traditional Mohegan cultural symbols. 
Among his many works were a whale sculpture donated to Governor Ella 
Grasso and the carving of a base for the headstone of the Mohegan chief 
Samuel Uncas.
  When Ralph Sturges was elected lifetime chief of the Mohegan Tribe, 
as he puts it, he ``didn't have a telephone and didn't have an 
office.'' He devoted a great deal of time and energy over the coming 
decade to the cause of securing federal recognition for the Mohegans--a 
goal that was realized on March 7, 1994.
  Today, the Mohegan Tribe stands as a remarkable success story. So 
much of this success is due to the efforts and dedication of Ralph 
Sturges, as well as countless others who worked with him over the 
years.
  Chief Sturges is an outstanding citizen, a respected leader, and a 
devoted member of the Mohegan tribe. He has forged strong bonds between 
his tribe and the State of Connecticut, as well

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as the Federal Government. These bonds have reaped tremendous benefits, 
not only for the Mohegan Tribe, but all of Southeastern Connecticut. 
The relationship between Connecticut and the Mohegan Tribe serves as a 
model that other states and tribal nations would do well to emulate.
  The honor Chief Sturges will receive this Wednesday is well-deserved. 
I applaud Ralph Sturges for all of his accomplishments, I congratulate 
him on this distinguished award, and I wish him continued health and 
happiness.

                          ____________________