Mashantuckets debut tribal Web site

Mashantucket - Up until last month, the Web site of the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center, www.pequotmuseum.org, served as the online "face" of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, providing information about the tribe's culture and history.

Those with requests for additional information about the tribe were referred to the tribe's public affairs department.

"Admittedly," James Jackson, the tribal council's treasurer, said this week, "the tribe has been a little behind the times in developing a strong Web presence for itself …"

Jackson, elected to a second term on the council last fall, set out to change that, leading an effort that culminated in the tribe's own dedicated site at www.mptn-nsn.gov, featuring pages devoted to tribal history, tribal government and tribal enterprises. The site's home page includes a statement of the tribe's mission.

Initially, Jackson said, the tribe hopes the site satisfies the demand for a Web presence that provides basic information about the tribe. Over time, he said, the site will become more dynamic, offering more comprehensive information about the tribe and its activities.

The new site's tribal government page includes photographs and biographies of the seven council members, marking the first time the tribe has posted such material online. The page on tribal enterprises has links to the separate sites maintained by the tribe's properties.