Connecticut's two federally recognized Indian tribes have received more than $100,000 in historic preservation grants awarded by the National Park Service.

The Mashantucket Pequots received $51,051, while the Mohegans received $49,797. All told, the service distributed $8.78 million to 154 tribes.

"Engaging American Indian tribes in our national historic preservation program is essential to our nationwide effort to preserve significant tribal places, as well as tribal culture and tradition," National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis said in a statement. "For many tribes, languages and traditions are threatened with extinction and sacred places are endangered. This grant program provides much needed funding to protect the cultures of American's first people."

The Mohegans said their grant will be used for archeological surveys of culturally and historically significant sites on reservation land and in the surrounding region, and also to aid in protecting and preserving those sites. The data gathered will be used to make land-use decisions and help in developing a tribal register of historic places.

A Mashantucket tribal spokesman said the Mashantuckets' grant will be used to fund their Tribal Historic Preservation Office.