What Native American tribe does Connecticut come from and what does it mean?

In honor of Indigenous People's Day, we would like to offer a brief introduction to the indigenous history and culture of our region.  

NWCT Land Acknowledgement Statement:

“We pause to acknowledge all local indigenous peoples, including the Mohican, Munsee Lanape, Paugussett, Pocumtuc, and Wappinger who inhabited the land of Northwest Connecticut. We embrace their continued connection to this region and thank them for allowing us to live, work, learn, and collaborate on their traditional homeland. Let us now take a moment of silence to pay respect to their elders and to all people, past and present.”

Today, Connecticut law recognizes five tribes: Golden Hill Paugussett, Mashantucket Pequot, Mohegan, Paucatuck Eastern Pequot, and Schaghticoke.

The Schaghticoke Tribal Nation is located in NWCT, with 300 members and a roughly 400-acre state reservation in Kent. 

Schaghticoke Tribal Nation

(Mahican/Mohican, Potatuck, Weantinock, Tunxis, and their descendants) 

"The 18th century Tribe followed a traditional seasonal round of group movements involving a winter-spring village, a summer village, and numerous smaller camps at which economic activities occurred, such as fishing, hunting, tin crafting, and collecting materials for basket and broom-making. The community supported itself through a mixed economy of maize agriculture, home gardens, hunting and fishing, and small livestock farming. Tribal members added to these subsistence activities by selling woodsplint baskets, brooms, canoes, tin products, and other wood objects to white farmers and shopkeepers. In 1736, the Connecticut General Assembly established the borders of the tribe’s reservation." [1]

The Schaghticoke people were famous for their basket making, and it was their only source of income for a period of history. Their baskets were know for being weaved very tightly. They would freeze them, which it made it possible to carry water.  Learn more about the history of the Schaghticoke people here.

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  The Institute for American Indian Studies is a cultural landmark and educational museum located in Washington, CT.

  "The Institute for American Indian Studies (IAIS) museum, education and research center in Washington, CT opened its doors in 1975 as an outgrowth of local efforts to recover New England's, then largely unknown, indigenous history. IAIS' core values of preservation, education and sharing of Native American cultures, traditions and community from deep history to contemporary times are the foundations of our programs, lectures, events, workshops and research. IAIS is open year-round, seven days a week (except major U.S. holidays) offering 4 exhibit galleries, a Children's Discovery Room, replicated outdoor 16th century Algonkian village, the Four Directions Gift Shop plus outdoor gardens and trails along our 15 acres of woodland landscape. Come explore the past, engage with the present, and embrace Mother Earth at the Institute for American Indian Studies. Walk in the footsteps of Native Americans past and present and experience Life in the Woodlands!" [3]

  In 2019, the museum announced the opening of its Wigwam Escape Room.  The award-winning game presents a series of interactive puzzles and invites visitors to immerse themselves in the world of the Native people from over 500 years ago.

  The attraction is open and they are taking special precaution to ensure safety according to the COVID-19 guidelines.

  
  

  Artist Spotlight:

  Jean Morningstar Kent

  Jeanne Kent was named Spozowialakws (Morningstar) by an Abenaki Elder many years ago. It means: "One who leads others out of the darkness into the light...a teacher."

  She is an enrolled member of the Nulhegan Band, Coosuk Abenaki of Vermont. Her art work contains Native American symbols and designs of the Northeast Woodland People with focus on the Wabanaki group. Her medium is gourd art. Currently, she is working on a series of gourd designs which she hopes will provide a visual language for the woodland People.  Her work is now part of the permanent collections of six museums and in private collections here and abroad.

  "There is something wonderful about putting one's hands into the soil to plant the seed, nurturing it until the blossoms form, then protecting them until they develop into natural canvases upon which to work my art, " she said. "Working with gourds is a combination of my art and heritage bound together in a spiritual journey with Mother Earth."

  Call for Advocacy:

  Sign the Petition to Update Torrington's School Mascot from the "Red Raiders"

  Torrington Connecticut is a city that takes pride in its history of being the birthplace of famous abolitionist John Brown. Despite this claim to fame, Torrington High Schools mascot still remains the "Red Raiders", a outdated homage to the oppression of Indigenous people that even makes mention of the skin tone stereotype. There has been action to remove the word "Red" but we feel this is not enough.

  By signing this petition, we encourage you to help us advocating for the change of the current mascot to a much more relevant and modern mascot of the "Torrington Abolitionists". 

  Instead of the shallow symbol of colonialism and oppression, the town should honor its own history and give the high school students a mascot that they can be proud to represent. 

  No high school student should be deterred from participating in sports due to the shame of wearing outdated symbolism. Most high school student today understand the troubling implications of the current mascot, and may look back on their days wearing the uniform with shame rather than pride.

  Now is the time for change, and we are proposing a great alternative.

  Please sign the petition to show your support for modernizing the mascot, rejecting colonialism, and honoring one of the greatest revolutionary leaders in American History, John Brown.

  What is a Connecticut native called?

  The Mohegan are an Algonquian Native American tribe historically based in present-day Connecticut. Today the majority of the people are associated with the Mohegan Indian Tribe, a federally recognized tribe living on a reservation in the eastern upper Thames River valley of south-central Connecticut.

  What are the names of the 3 Native American tribes?

  Tribal group	Total	American Indian/Alaska Native alone
  Cherokee	729,533	299,862
  Navajo	298,197	275,991
  Latin American Indian1	180,940	106,204
  Choctaw	158,774	96,901

  Table 1.3. Largest American Indian and Alaska Native tribes according ...nces.ed.gov › pubs2008 › nativetrends › tables › table_1_3null

  What are 4 Native American tribes?

  Prominent tribes include the Algonquin, Iroquois, Huron, Wampanoag, Mohican, Mohegan, Ojibwa, Ho-chunk (Winnebago), Sauk, Fox, and Illinois. The traditional languages of the Northeast are largely of the Iroquoian and Algonquian language families.

  What are the 5 Native American tribes called?

  The Dawes Act of February 8, 1887 marks a turning point in determining tribal citizenship. This Act developed a Federal commission tasked with creating Final Rolls for the Five Civilized Tribes of Oklahoma (Cherokees, Chickasaws, Choctaws, Creeks, and Seminoles).