Why Modern Property Claims Aren’t Simply 'Stolen Land' in Connecticut

The column examines how early Algonquian tribal battles, especially between the Pequots, Narragansetts and Mohegans, set a precedent of power-based land control in what is now Connecticut. The subsequent Pequot War, alliances with English colonists, and the eventual annihilation of the Pequots added another layer of dispossession. Over the following centuries, European settlers replaced tribal force with written deeds, statutes of limitation, adverse possession and constitutional protections, creating a legal framework that settles ownership disputes.

The author challenges modern moralizing that labels current homeowners as occupying “stolen land,” arguing that the law already accounts for the passage of time and the loss of original claims. He also points out the difficulty of deciding which tribe, if any, should receive restitution. Ultimately, the piece asserts that property rights today are grounded in a settled legal order rather than unresolved historical grievances.