seeking to regain federal recognition, the brothertown indians filed a documented petition in 2005. the bureau of indian affairs notified the tribe in 2009 in a preliminary finding that they had not satisfied all seven criteria. in addition, the bia said that the 1839 act granting the brothertown united states citizenship and dissolving their communal reservation land, had effectively terminated the people as a sovereign tribe. in september 2012, in the final determination on the brothertown petition, the acting assistant secretary determined that the group previously had a relationship with the united states, but had its tribal status terminated by the 1839 act which could only be restored by a new act of congress. because brothertown could not satisfy one of the seven mandatory criteria for federal acknowledgment, the department did not look to the other criteria in making its final determination. the brothertown indians are continuing to pursue federal recognition.