[OANNES Foro] Mystic Aquarium honors Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

[Mario Cabrejos]

Mystic Aquarium honors Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
Gift that made exhibit possible is the largest in the history of the Aquarium
By Mystic Aquarium
http://www.norwalkplus.com/nwk/information/nwsnwk/publish/News_1/Mystic-Aqu
arium-honors-Mashantucket-Pequot-Tribal-Nation2826.shtml

Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration, a division of Sea Research
Foundation, Inc., yesterday hosted a rededication of the Arctic Coast
exhibit to recognize the generous gift from the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal
Nation that made construction of the exhibit possible.

In 1996, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation made a gift of $5 million,
which funded the expansive outdoor exhibit that currently houses the
Aquarium's three beluga whales and the seven belugas visiting from Shedd
Aquarium in Chicago. Containing more than 750,000 gallons of water, it is
one of the largest outdoor beluga exhibits in the nation.

Originally named the Alaskan Coast, the exhibit was recently renamed to
accommodate a wider range of species and reflect the Aquarium's ongoing
research in the Arctic to understand climate change and its effect on
belugas.

"We saw the renaming as the perfect opportunity to reaffirm our gratitude
to the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation for their generous gift - the
largest in the history of the Aquarium," said Steve Coan, Ph.D., president
and CEO of Sea Research. "The Arctic Coast was an invaluable addition to
the Aquarium, providing visitors an up-close and educational experience
with the belugas, and therefore helping Sea Research Foundation further its
mission."

"In 1996, then chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Richard
A. (Skip) Hayward brought this proposal forward for tribal council
consideration, which gained full approval. This relationship with the
Aquarium was a natural for the Tribe because we have long placed an
emphasis on education not only in our own community but also in the
community at large," said Michael Thomas, chairman of the Mashantucket
Pequot Tribal Nation. "Historically, the Pequot people occupied the coastal
regions of our state, and we recognize the importance of understanding the
gifts our Creator gave us in nature, including the water and all the
creatures placed there."

The ceremony included speeches from Sea Research and Mashantucket Pequot
Tribal Nation representatives, as well as a blessing of the exhibit and
animals by tribal elder George Eleazer, ceremonial dance performance and
the unveiling of the new exhibit plaque, which commemorates the tribal
nation's gift.

The ceremony also served as a starting point for future collaboration
between Sea Research, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the people
of Point Lay, Alaska, where Dr. Tracy Romano, senior vice president of
research and zoological operations at Sea Research, conducts beluga
research each year.

"The opportunities for educational partnerships are vast and include
student exchange programs among the three groups and collaborative
programming," said Dr. Romano. "Everyone at Sea Research looks forward to
this new partnership and the possibilities it presents to educate more
people about protecting our oceans and the fascinating cultures of the
tribal nation and Point Lay."

To provide visitors a deeper understanding of belugas, the Aquarium has
installed a new video kiosk at the Arctic Coast, where guests may watch the
birth of a beluga, the transport of Shedd's belugas to Mystic or hear
belugas' vocalizations live through a hydrophone.

On the main exhibit floor, a new kiosk features a video on climate change
in the Arctic, and a television features a live feed into the pool where
five of Shedd's belugas are currently staying. All were available for the
first time today.

About Sea Research Foundation, Inc.

Mystic Aquarium, Institute for Exploration and Immersion Presents are
divisions of Sea Research Foundation, Inc., a private, non-profit,
charitable organization incorporated in the State of Connecticut. The
mission of Sea Research is to inspire people to care for and protect our
ocean planet through education, research and exploration.

About the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

The Mashantucket Pequots are a people having endured centuries of conflict,
survival and continuity on and around one of America's oldest Indian
reservations established in 1666. Today, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal
Nation owns the largest resort casino in North America, Foxwoods Resort
Casino, along with several other economic ventures, including a world-class
Museum and Research Center; the Lake of Isles Golf Course, a joint-venture
partnership establishing the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, and Foxwoods
Development Company dedicated to world-class resort development throughout
the United States and Caribbean. Altogether, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal
Nation remains one of the State of Connecticut's highest tax payers and
largest employers. Likewise, the Tribe provides significant financial
contributions to state and local non-profit organizations that support
neighboring communities.

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