Another statue of Maj. John Mason stands to be plucked from a lofty perch, a move applauded Thursday by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and others. The legislature’s approval late Wednesday of the state’s 2021-22 budget includes up to $15,000 for the removal of a Mason statue from the façade of the state Capitol, which many have long believed to be an inappropriate tribute to the man who led English forces against the Pequot tribe in the 1637 “Massacre at Mystic,” the Pequot War’s pivotal battle. “John Mason’s historical significance to the Pequot Massacre is a defining moment in American history and an early example of the hostile and shameful treatment of tribes nationwide that has marred the history of the United States,” the Mashantuckets said in a statement. “Mason’s attack on and burning of the Pequot village at Mystic and its immediate aftermath forever transformed the balance of power and justice on this continent — social, racial, economic, and environmental."