While they called the remarks made by Indian researcher Philip Rabito-Wyppensenwah "uncomplimentary", the St. David's Island Indian Committee refuted his claims in a statement to The Royal Gazette.

Earlier this month, Mr. Rabito-Wyppensenwah said the East End residents should thoroughly conduct their research before claiming Pequot Indians as their ancestors.

But the committee stressed that no one had ever said such a thing, especially not Sinclair (Brinky) Tucker whom Mr.Rabito-Wyppensenwah referred to when he spoke to this paper.

"At no point has Mr. Tucker, as far as he is aware for that matter, ever asserted that St. David's Islanders are descendants of only the Pequots," it read.

The statement also claimed that Mr. Tucker never mentioned anything about enslaved Pequots being chained and kept separate, but when The Royal Gazette looked into its archive, in an interview with Nancy Acton, Mr. Tucker was quoted as saying: "They were kept separate and chained so they couldn't associate."

However, when this was brought to Mr. Tucker's attention, he said: "I won't categorically deny that I said it, I just don't remember."

But, he said, the comments made by Mr.Rabito-Wyppensenwah upset many people.

"My phone was ringing off the hook from 7 a.m. when the article was printed," Mr. Tucker said.

"Although he upset many people in the community, he particularly angered St. David's Islanders."

Mr. Tucker said although he recognised that people have the right to express their opinions, the committee did not understand why Mr.Rabito-Wyppensenwah waited to voice his criticisms almost six months after the St. David's Island Indian Reconnection Festival was held.

"Why didn't he surface back in June?

"I think his main motivation is to draw interest to the book that he has coming out," he said.

And what mystifies the committee, said Mr. Tucker, is that only two of them have met Mr. Rabito-Wyppensenwah - over 20 years ago, and no hardly anything about him.

According to Mr. Tucker, the committee tried to reach him soon after his interview printed, but was told that he had checked out of his guest house.