Pequot

My ancestors from Connecticut were a proud , brave and intelligent bunch. They lived and fought bravely and today are one of the wealthiest and most prospering Native American Nations. They have lived through a series of highs and lows and persevered through it all. Yet saying the name meets with some blank stares. Everyone has heard of the Apache, Navajo, Seminole, Mohawk. But the Pequot? They were so far back in  history, that it is hard to fit them in to the history of things, unless you are from the east coast, or an eastern woodlands tribe.

The Pequot War was an important part of early American history, it was the first major conflict in the US that involved the newcomers from Europe.The US wasn't even the US yet! The Pequot were dealing with Europeans before the USA was the USA. They have been around for at least 10,000 years.The war devastated them, but didn't kill them off. Today the tribe has a world famous casino, Foxwoods.

The tribe at once point was broken up and handed over as slaves to other tribes, such as the Narragansett. Many of us from this area have mixed heritage due to not only prisoner exchanges, but tribes meshing together out of necessity. There were several tribes all living within walking distance of each other. Unlike the Plains and some southwest tribes that had no one around them for miles, these groups intermingled, sometimes in a good way, and sometimes not, but many of those of NA blood from the area have several tribes in their bloodstream, having just one is very rare.

The Mashantucket Pequot were the ones handed over to the Mohegans after the war. The Pequot tribe was divided, and for all intents and purposes remains so. The tribe that numbered 8000 was reduced to about 500 buy the end of the Pequot War.

In the 1700's many moved to upper New York, then eventually the Wisconsin area, and joined a Christian movement there.In the 1970's a handful decided to fight for their land and asked others to return. It was a long battle, but they won back land and were awarded financial restitution. The tribe established several successful businesses, and grew. In 1993 there was a ground breaking ceremony for the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, which opened in 1998, a place I hope to visit very soon. It is on the grounds of the Pequot Reservation, one of the oldest , continually occupied reservations.

The history of the east coast is rich and varied. It is triumphs and defeats, but the Pequot story is about a people who never gave up. They didn't let the challenges they faced , which were great, overcome them. They   educated themselves, and fought for what was theirs, and won. Through hard work and dedication.

Knowing their history, there is never a doubt that I can achieve whatever I put my mind to. That goes for every one of us. The key is being smart, honest, brave, strong, and never giving up. It means doing the right thing, and picking oneself up when you fall down. It means being a person of action and hope. It means learning to use legal ways to fight, not guns and arrows. It means perseverance.

There is much written about the Pequot, give it a read, it is an interesting story!


Peshaui Wequashimese



(C) 2011 Dr. R M Wolf. May not be used, copied or reproduced without prior written permission