“We’ve been on this land for thousands of years and we’ll be here,” said Rodney A. Butler, the tribal chairman. “Economic success is different from tribal success.”

The casino is in debt in part because of competition — including competition with Mohegan Sun, a casino run by the Mohegan tribe eight miles away — and in part because of mismanagement and overexpansion. Several years ago, the tribe, along with MGM Grand, spent $700 million to build a new tower at the casino, with hotel rooms and a gambling floor. MGM Grand is no longer part of the partnership, and now has a license to build its own casino in Springfield, Mass., about 75 miles away.

The tribe is trying to adjust, diversifying some of its industries by building a $120 million strip mall outside the casino and potentially selling some off-reservation properties, according to a presentation given to bondholders in 2012. The tribe has also talked of teaming with the Mohegans to open a third Connecticut casino, which some public officials support as a way to keep gambling dollars in the state.

Tribal leaders declined to give details about their plans and, consistent with past practice, would authorize only a small number of officials and tribal members to speak about their circumstances.

Pequot officials said the museum is closing for repairs, and also so they can find an executive director and fill a position that has been vacant for several months. But 45 of the 55 employees are being laid off, at least temporarily, suggesting that closing the museum is an attempt to adapt to a new financial reality.

So was ending the annual stipends, which the tribe called “incentive payments,” in 2010.

“There was a lot of frustration, anger and fear when the payments stopped, especially if you’ve built your life with that kind of freedom,” said a member of the Pequot tribe, Dale Merrill.