the colonial period, agents had sold traditional lands originally occupied by the Mohegan people and reserved for them by the colony; they became landless. European Americans assumed they would assimilate to the more numerous majority. In the 20th century the Mohegan reorganized and sought federal recognition through the formal administrative process, submitting thorough documentation to prove their community and cultural continuity despite the lack of land. At the same time, beginning in the 1970s, they pursued a land claim against Connecticut for having been deprived illegally of their traditional lands. In 1994, the U.S. Department of the Interior granted federal recognition to the Mohegan tribe. Several months later, the U.S. Congress passed the Mohegan Nation (Connecticut) Land Claim Settlement Act. It authorized the United States to take into trust the United Nuclear site for use as Mohegan reservation lands; with this, the law extinguished any other Mohegan land claims in Connecticut. In exchange, Congress approved the tribe undertaking gambling operations at the reservation site. With its own reservation, the Mohegan developed gaming operations to generate revenue for tribal welfare. They opened the Mohegan Sun casino on October 12, 1996, near the former Fort Shantok site above the Thames River. It has since been expanded into a large resort with hotels and other facilities. Geography Uncasville village is located in southeastern Montville near the confluence of the Oxoboxo and Thames rivers. All of eastern Montville, located on the western shore of the Thames, is served by the Uncasville ZIP code, 06382, and is also known as Uncasville. The U.S. Census Bureau treats Uncasville village as part of the Oxoboxo River census-designated place. The Mohegan Sun resort is about north of Uncasville village. Mohegan Sun The Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, established in 1996, has become one of the largest casinos in the world. It has more than . The associated resort complex includes a luxury hotel, entertainment theater, and around 50 restaurants and 35 stores. The Mohegan Sun Arena, located in the complex, hosts concerts and live sporting events. It is the home court of the Connecticut Sun, a team of the Women's National Basketball Association. Notable people Stephanie Fielding, Mohegan language activist References Montville, Connecticut Villages in New London County, Connecticut Connecticut placenames of Native American origin Populated places on the Thames River (Connecticut) Mohegan