{"id":2,"date":"2025-12-17T19:38:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T19:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/?page_id=2"},"modified":"2026-03-12T20:25:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T20:25:38","slug":"sample-page","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/","title":{"rendered":"Reclamation and Preservation: How Native Tribes in New England are taking back their culture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Gian\u00adni Sal\u00adis\u00adbury, UConn Jour\u00adnal\u00adism
Decem\u00adber 2025<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reds and oranges of the fall foliage blur past the win\u00addow as elder Mike Thomas, the for\u00admer chair\u00adman of the Mashan\u00adtuck\u00adet Pequot Trib\u00adal Nation, dri\u00adves down the back roads of the reser\u00adva\u00adtion. He pass\u00ades hous\u00ades, a post office, a phar\u00adma\u00adcy, sports fields and a com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty cen\u00adter. A man mows his lawn while chil\u00addren play on a swing set. A neigh\u00adbor comes out of his house and stops Thomas to catch up on each other\u2019s fam\u00adi\u00adlies. The Mashan\u00adtuck\u00adet Pequot reser\u00adva\u00adtion, which bor\u00adders Led\u00adyard, Pre\u00adston and North Ston\u00ading\u00adton, Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut, is 2,000 acres in size and home to around 500 peo\u00adple. How\u00adev\u00ader, many who live out\u00adside its bound\u00adaries for\u00adget it is even there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas has lived on the reser\u00adva\u00adtion since he was 15 after mov\u00ading there at his grand\u00admoth\u00aders request, who was Mashan\u00adtuck\u00adet Pequot. Now at 57, he works for the Cul\u00adtur\u00adal Resources Depart\u00adment of the Mashan\u00adtuck\u00adet Pequot Trib\u00adal Nation.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a pret\u00adty small group com\u00adpared to oth\u00ader tribes like the Nar\u00adra\u00adgansett, but we are strong. Because of the close\u00adness every\u00adbody pret\u00adty much knows every\u00adone. The world is a small place. The Indi\u00adan world is even small\u00ader,\u201d Thomas says with a laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When most peo\u00adple pic\u00adture Native tribes, they think of tribes out west such as the Chero\u00adkee or Nava\u00adjo, not real\u00adiz\u00ading the strong pres\u00adence of native peo\u00adples in New Eng\u00adland. Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut has five rec\u00adog\u00adnized tribes: Mashan\u00adtuck\u00adet Pequot and Mohe\u00adgan tribes, which are fed\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly rec\u00adog\u00adnized, and the Gold\u00aden Hill Pau\u00adgus\u00adsett, Pau\u00adcatuck East\u00adern Pequot and Schaghti\u00adcoke tribes, which are state rec\u00adog\u00adnized. In Rhode Island, the Nar\u00adra\u00adgansett tribe is the only fed\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly rec\u00adog\u00adnized tribe. In Mass\u00ada\u00adchu\u00adsetts, the Mash\u00adpee Wampanoag and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquin\u00adnah) are fed\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly rec\u00adog\u00adnized while the Nip\u00admuc Nation is state rec\u00adog\u00adnized. A full list of rec\u00adog\u00adnized tribes in New Eng\u00adland can be found on the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Mass\u00ada\u00adchu\u00adsetts Boston web\u00adsite<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fed\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly-rec\u00adog\u00adnized tribes have trib\u00adal sov\u00ader\u00adeign\u00adty and are dis\u00adtinct nations with their own gov\u00adern\u00adments. State-rec\u00adog\u00adnized tribes also have sov\u00ader\u00adeign\u00adty but at a much more lim\u00adit\u00aded lev\u00adel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sandy Grande, a polit\u00adi\u00adcal sci\u00adence and Native Amer\u00adi\u00adcan and Indige\u00adnous stud\u00adies pro\u00adfes\u00adsor at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut and a Quechua nation\u00adal<\/a>, said the rea\u00adson peo\u00adple for\u00adget about the native pres\u00adence here is because the geno\u00adcide of Indige\u00adnous peo\u00adple actu\u00adal\u00adly began in Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut and New Eng\u00adland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt all comes back to the Mys\u00adtic Mas\u00adsacre, the Pequot War and the 1638 Treaty of Hart\u00adford, which worked to remove Pequots alto\u00adgeth\u00ader,\u201d Grande said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mys\u00adtic Mas\u00adsacre and the Pequot Wa<\/a>r killed between 400\u2013700 Pequots. Treaty of Hart\u00adford<\/a> abol\u00adished the Pequot tribe and made the name Pequot ille\u00adgal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey were for\u00adbid\u00adden and it is under\u00adstood to be the only doc\u00adu\u00admen\u00adtary or evi\u00adden\u00adtiary his\u00adto\u00adry of a geno\u00adcide,\u201d Grande said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After those major events, Grande explained, the push of all native peo\u00adples west\u00adward occurred. What young Amer\u00adi\u00adcans learn in school often reflects the lack of knowl\u00adedge peo\u00adple have about tribes in New Eng\u00adland, she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen kids here in Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut learn about Native his\u00adto\u00adry, it almost always starts with the Trail of Tears, maybe the pil\u00adgrims. So you go from the pil\u00adgrims to the Trail of Tears<\/a>,\u201d Grande explained. \u201cSo while there are five rec\u00adog\u00adnized tribes in the state of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut, it\u2019s just miss\u00ading in the school cur\u00adricu\u00adlum.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the Treaty of Hart\u00adford more than three cen\u00adturies ago, Indige\u00adnous peo\u00adple in the region and across the nation have lost land, lan\u00adguage, tra\u00addi\u00adtion and cul\u00adture through prac\u00adtices of era\u00adsure<\/a>, includ\u00ading the enforce\u00adment of board\u00ading schools<\/a>, failed treaties, shrink\u00ading of reser\u00adva\u00adtions and forced assim\u00adi\u00adla\u00adtion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This pho\u00adto essay aims to show how the Mashan\u00adtuck\u00adet Pequot, Nar\u00adra\u00adgansett and oth\u00ader tribes in New Eng\u00adland \u2013  through edu\u00adca\u00adtion, cel\u00ade\u00adbra\u00adtion, cre\u00adativ\u00adi\u00adty, arti\u00adfact recla\u00adma\u00adtion, land preser\u00adva\u00adtion and com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty engage\u00adment \u2013 are work\u00ading to reclaim these loss\u00ades and show that their peo\u00adple and cul\u00adture are still here. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Click on a button below to view that section of the photo essay<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Lantern Hill and the lake at its base are also examples of sacred land that serves to educate the next generation on Pequot history, according to Thomas.<\/p>\n

\u201cLantern Hill is one of those sacred spots that both Pequot tribes, us and the Eastern Pequot, live on opposite sides of, and so it\u2019s a sacred hill to all of us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Every year, the education program brings students to the hill as well.
\n\u201cWe bring all ages down here multiple times a season and make sure everybody knows,\u201d Thomas said.
\n\u201cWe do other things to keep kids connected to the land and the water, including our forestry and watersheds camp, where our high school kids in the tribe get a chance to spend all summer on the water in the land that used to be ours, as well as on the water in the land that still is.\u201d<\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_9185-1024x656.jpg\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-82\" alt src=\"http:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_9185-1024x656.jpg\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_9185-1024x656.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_9185-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_9185-768x492.jpg 768w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_9185-1536x984.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_9185-2048x1312.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_9185-1200x769.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_9185-1860x1191.jpg 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/span>

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LAND<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Adults and children participate in several traditional dances throughout the day wearing their regalia at the Veterans Powwow on Nov. 8, 2025 at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum.<\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0507_1-1024x946.jpg\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-119\" alt src=\"http:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0507_1-1024x946.jpg\" style=\"object-position:40% 34%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"40% 34%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0507_1-1024x946.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0507_1-300x277.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0507_1-768x709.jpg 768w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0507_1-1536x1419.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0507_1-2048x1892.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0507_1-1200x1108.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0507_1-1860x1718.jpg 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/span>
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CELEBRATION & THANKSGIVING<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Cortez holds wampum earrings that she made as part of her business called \u2018Beltweaver\u2019 on Fairfield Way at the University of Connecticut on Sept. 30, 2025. Wampum is made from a purple and white shell and is very important to Indigenous culture. Over the centuries, it was used for ornamental or ceremonial purposes as well as a gift item. She said she uses wampum frequently in her work to preserve the importance of this material to native culture.<\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_8066-1-1024x657.jpg\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-80\" alt src=\"http:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_8066-1-1024x657.jpg\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_8066-1-1024x657.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_8066-1-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_8066-1-768x493.jpg 768w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_8066-1-1536x985.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_8066-1-2048x1313.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_8066-1-1200x770.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_8066-1-1860x1193.jpg 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/span>
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ART & TRADITION<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
A reconstructed ceramic coffee pot made in the 1700s and recovered from an archaeological site in Preston, Connecticut is on display in the Mashentuquet Pequot Museum. Pots like this were used to brew coffee or chocolate, showing a glimpse into native life during the time.<\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0137-1024x724.jpg\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-86\" alt src=\"http:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0137-1024x724.jpg\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0137-1024x724.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0137-300x212.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0137-768x543.jpg 768w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0137-1536x1086.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0137-2048x1448.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0137-1200x849.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0137-1860x1315.jpg 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/span>
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PRESERVATION<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Michael Martins shows how the basil is watered in the hydroponic greenhouses on Nov. 10, 2025 at Meechoo\u00f4k Farms. <\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0841-1024x683.jpg\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-98\" alt src=\"http:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0841-1024x683.jpg\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0841-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0841-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0841-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0841-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0841-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0841-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/files\/2025\/12\/IMG_0841-1860x1240.jpg 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/span>
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GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Gian\u00adni Sal\u00adis\u00adbury, UConn Jour\u00adnal\u00adismDecem\u00adber 2025 The reds and oranges of the fall foliage blur past the win\u00addow as elder Mike Thomas, the for\u00admer chair\u00adman of the Mashan\u00adtuck\u00adet Pequot Trib\u00adal Nation, dri\u00adves down the back roads of the reser\u00adva\u00adtion. He pass\u00ades hous\u00ades, a post office, a phar\u00adma\u00adcy, sports fields and a com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty cen\u00adter. A man [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":981,"featured_media":111,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/981"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2"}],"version-history":[{"count":60,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":493,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2\/revisions\/493"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/indigenous-culture-preservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}