By Amanda McCard | UConn Journalism
Maps, journals, books–if it’s a historical document that references the Thames River in New London, Connecticut, chances are good that Dr. Kevin McBride has studied it. He’s not just an avid river enthusiast or a history buff. He’s an archaeologist on a mission, per the request of the Mashantucket Pequot tribe, to discover the original name of the waterway and learn what it has been called throughout history.
The Pequot tribe hopes to use McBride’s findings to come out on top of a disagreement with the Mohegans, the other tribe local to the Thames River. Legislation proposed by state Rep. Anthony Nolan in January seeks to rename the river to honor indigenous history, but these two tribes are at odds over what the new name should be.
The Pequot tribe would like it to be called the Pequot River. That’s what its name was until 1658, McBride said.
Records indicate that the English called it the Pequot until they renamed it to the Thames, at the same time that the city called Pequot Plantation was renamed to New London.
But McBride explained that knowing the river’s history doesn’t solve the problem of what to call it today.
“I know the Mohegans aren’t happy,” he said. “I think they want to call it the Mohegan River, but there’s no basis for it.”
In a Feb. 27 statement to the Transportation Committee, chairman and justice of the Mohegan Tribe Council of Elders Charlie Strickland “Two Bears” explained his tribe’s physical and spiritual closeness to the river.
“[T]he river – which The Mohegan Tribe has historically called the Massapequotuck – runs adjacent to our homeland. It has been the lifeblood of our tribe for centuries,” Strickland said.
The tribe has a close spiritual relationship with the river, said Catherine Foley, executive director of the Thames River Heritage Park. She explained that its elders give a tour of the Thames where they discuss its history.
“They talk about how they see the river, what the river has provided to the tribe historically,” she said. “It’s really about the peoples and the river and the importance of the river and the significance that it had to their daily life.”
This dispute reflects a long history of conflict between the tribes. The Pequot and Mohegan people fought on opposite sides of the Pequot War in 1637, according to the CT Humanities program Connecticut History.
McBride described them as “ancient enemies,” but acknowledged that their current relationship is much better than it once was.
“They get along, but there’s still that little bit of competition,” he explained.
The elders of each tribe are a different story.
“They’re still pissed at each other,” McBride said.
Regardless of the outcome of this disagreement, renaming a waterway like the Thames involves more than just compromise. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names is a federal body that standardizes names of geographic features. It manages name changes, conflicts and inquiries of natural features like waterways, mountains and islands.
“In partnership with Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies, the BGN provides a conduit through which uniform geographic name usage is applied and current names data are promulgated,” reads the BGN page of the United States Geological Survey website.
The board has policies in place for geographic features located on tribal lands and for ones that are culturally significant to tribes. For features located on non-tribal lands, the USBGN principles document states that the board will “[c]onsider Tribal comments along with those received from Federal departments and agencies, State and local governments, and other interested parties.”
Tara Wallace, branch chief of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and a member of the BGN, explained that the board typically votes in favor of names suggested by tribes.
“Most of the time we will support a tribal name,” she said. “We really like to see tribal support and we like the tribes to get together, if there’s more than one tribe in the area, to support one name and not have more than one proposal.”
The BGN principles document explains that after a name change proposal is submitted, the board conducts some initial research and prepares a case brief. This brief is published in a review list where the public can submit comments. The board’s members then vote to approve or reject the name change, and if approved, all federal agencies must change the feature’s name in every publication.
Both tribes have stated that changing the river’s name represents an opportunity to honor their histories.
“The bill before you today is a critical acknowledgement of our proud and complex history,” said Rodney Butler, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, in a Feb. 27 statement to the Joint Committee on Transportation. “The goal of this legislation and the core of our support is to celebrate the rich indigenous history of the Pequot River, the surrounding region, and the shared history of the state of Connecticut that was born along its shores.”
In that statement, Butler expressed a desire to work collaboratively to honor his tribe’s history.
“We look forward to the continued dialogue with members of this committee, the legislature, and our Mohegan cousins,” he said.
Strickland also mentioned cooperation in his statement.
“In the spirit of cooperation, we have reached out to our neighbors at the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation in the hope of discussing a traditional name that would be agreeable to both of Connecticut’s federally recognized tribes,” he said. “While such a name has not been identified at this time, we remain open to such a discussion which might inform the General Assembly’s work this session.”