Connecticut Native American Tribes

 

 

Native American Information Center
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

Blackfoot Language

 

 
Translation In the beginning God created heaven and earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep water. The spirit of God was hovering over the water. Then God said, "Let there be light!" So there was light. God saw the light was good. So God separated the light from the darkness. God named the light "day", and the darkness he named "night". There was evening, then morning, the first day.
 

 

 

 

Welcome to the Blackfeet Nation
 
BLACKFOOT indigenous people of the Plains, who spoke an Algonquian language (Algonquian-Wakashan). The Blackfoot, original name was 'Siksikauwa',
which means, 'The black-footed people', were unremittingly hostile to most other Native People and usually to white settlers, efficiently repelling intrusion.
In the early 19th century they lived in a large territory around the upper Missouri and Northern Saskatchewan rivers, ranging West to the Rocky Mountains.
They developed a nomadic Plains culture, based on the horse and buffalo.
Their only crop was tobacco, employed in such rituals as the 'Sun Dance'.
The killing off of the buffalo by the whites brought the Blackfoot almost to starvation. Today they are mostly farmers and ranchers, living in Montana and Canada.
In 1990 there were 32,234 Blackfoot in the U.S.
 
 
 
MOHEGANS indigenous people of the Eastern Woodlands, with an Algonquian language (Algonquian-Wakashan). Sometimes called Mohicans, they were a branch of the Mahicans, occupying Southwest Connecticut. United with the Pequot in the early 1630s, they became a distinct tribe under Uncas, who later reunited both groups into a powerful force that had British support. They are known through J.F. Cooper's
The Last of the Mohicans. Sale of their land led to decline. In 1993 there were several hundred Mohegans in Southeast Connecticut.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Mashantucket Pequot Musem & Research Center  updated 11/19/98

 

 What Native American tribes originally inhabited Connecticut?

Connecticut Native American Tribes

The Encyclopedia of Connecticut: A Volume of Encyclopedia of the United States lists the following Native American groups (Indians) found in Connecticut:

  1. Nipmunks
  2. Sequin or "River Indians"
    Which included the following tribes:
    • Tunxis
    • Poquonnuc
    • Podunk
    • Wangunk
    • Machimoodus
    • Hammonasset
    • Quinnipiac
  3. Matabesec or Wappinger Confederacy
    Which included the following tribes:
    • Pootatuck
    • Weawaug
    • Unocwa
    • Siwanoy
    Pequot-Mohegan

Further information about these tribes and their location in Connecticut at the turn of the sixteenth century is listed below. Information in italics is from The Gale Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes, Volume I. Otherwise the information is from History of the Indians of Connecticut from the Earliest Known Period to 1850, by John W. De Forest.

Eastern Nehantics, located along the border of Connecticut and Rhode Island, (Gale, p. 157; (also mentioned in De Forest, p. 61 but not identified as Eastern Nehantic).

Hammononassetts, located in the Clinton and Killingworth area

Matabesecs (or Wappingger) Confederacy, located in the Western part of Connecticut/Eastern New York

 

Mohegans, found in the Thames River valley between Norwich and Uncasville. This tribe was associated with the Pequot tribe before the two tribes split in the 1630's

Narragansetts, A Rhode Island tribe which clashed with the Pequots

 

Nipmunks, found in Tolland and Windham counties, they were subject, sometimes to one, sometimes to another, of the more powerful communities around them

Paugussetts, (Golden Hill) of Stratford and Huntington, and surrounding townships lived in villages on both sides of the Housatonic River in New Haven and Fairfield counties (Gale, p. 229), Language Algonquian.

Pequots, (Mashantucket) the most numerous, the most warlike, the fiercest and the bravest of all the aboriginal clans of Connecticut. Found from the Niantic River, west ... along the hills of New London County to a point ten miles east of the Paucatuc River, and North ten to twelve miles from Long Island Sound (De Forest, p. 58).

Podunks, "river tribe" found on the East side of the Connecticut river, in East Windsor, South Windsor and East Hartford (De Forest, p. 55).

 

Quinnipiacs, extended along the shore from Milford to Madison

Schaghticoke, located in West-Central, Litchfield County, near present day Kent

Sepous, see Tunxis Indians.

Tunxis, located on the Farmington river 8-10 miles west of the Connecticut

Wangunks, "river tribe" (De Forest, p. 46) found in Wethersfield and Middletown

Wappinger Confederacy, see Matabesec Confederacy.

Wepawaugs, Indian tribe that lived on the East bank of the Housatonic river, probably part of the Paugussett tribe.

Western Nehantics, located from the Connecticut River, eastward along the seashore, to a small steam which retains their name.

Note: The spelling of Native American tribal names varies. The spellings above are as given in the publications cited.

Sources:
DeForest, John W. History of the Indians of Connecticut from the Earliest Known Period to 1850 [CSL call number: HistRef E 78 .C7 D4 1991].

 

The Encyclopedia of Connecticut: A Volume of Encyclopedia of the United States [CSL call number: HistRef F 92 .E53 1994].

Malinowski, Sharon and Anna Sheets, eds. The Gale Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes, Volume I [CSL call number: E 77 .G15 1998 v.1].

For additional resources, see the Research Guide to Materials Relating to Native Americans at the Connecticut State Library and Guide to Native American Legal Resources at the Connecticut State Library.

Prepared by the History and Genealogy Unit, Connecticut State Library. Revised 2-04.

 

 

 

Links For Native American Information

 

 

 

U.S. Department of Justice Office of

Tribal Justice

 

http://www.usdoj.gov/otj/index.html

 
National Tribal Justice Resource Center
http://www.tribalresourcecenter.org/

 

Connecticut Native Americans

http://www.archaeolink.com/native_north_americans_connectic.htm

 

 

NATIVE AMERICAN LAW

 Legal Research > Topic Index > Native American Law

 

Supreme Court Decisions

 

Native American Law Regulations & Statutes

 

Native American Organizations & Resources

 

Other Native American Web Sites

 

Native American Tribal Web Sites

 

 

 

Native American Organizations

American Indian Archaeological Institute (AIAI)

Provides information on the Northeastern woodlands tribes of the United States including a 2000 volume library and museum center.

American Indian College Fund (AICF)

Helps fund tribally-controlled colleges.

American Indian Council of Architects and Engineers (AICAE)

Represents American Indian owned firms on a national level. Encourages students in the field.

American Indian Culture Research Center (AICRC)

Aids in educating the non-Indian public about the philosophy of Native American people and assists in rebuilding communities.

American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC)

Provides scholarship assistance.

American Indian Health Care Association (AIHCA)

Assists urban health care centers in management and education.

American Indian Heritage Foundation (AIHF)

Educates non-Indians on cultural heritage of Native Americans. Maintains a museum and 250 volume library.

American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC)

Organization of tribally controlled colleges in the United States and Canada.

American Indian Historical Society (AIHS)

Offers support for educational and cultural programs.

American Indian Library Association (AILA)

Dedicated to providing assistance to Native Americans in library services.

American Indian Registry for the Performing Arts (AIRPA)

Organization of American Indian performers and technical personnel in the entertainment field.

American Indian Research and Development (AIRD)

Seeks to improve the quality of education for the gifted Native American student.

American Indian Science and Education Center

Provides educational assistance and maintains a 1500 volume library.

American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)

 

1085 14th St., Ste. 1506

 

Boulder, Colorado 80302

 

303-492-8658

 

303-492-7090 Fax

 

 

 

Emo Notah

aiseshq@spot.colorado.edu

 

Winds of Change

winds@spot.colorado.edu

 

Jim DeNomie

denomie@spot.colorado.edu

 

Norbert Hill

nhill@spot.colorado.edu

not sure if this address is activated yet

 

Corporate Affairs/Fund Raising Dept
Ime Salazar

salazari@spot.colorado.edu

 

Jim Chastain

achapter@spot.colorado.edu

 

Sonya Sandoval

ascholar@spot.colorado.edu

(Roberta Manuelito can also be reached at this address)

 

Books/Merchandise Dept
Dick Pierce

pathways@spot.colorado.edu

 

Pre-College

aisespc@spot.colorado.edu

 

Research and SACAI Groups
John Hoover

aises@spot.colorado.edu

Motivates students to pursue graduate studies in the field. Offers scholarships.

American Native Press Research Association (ANPRA)

Promotes research concerning the American Native Press.

Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO)

Helps in establishing self help programs in education, health, housing, job development and training opportunities.

ARROW, Incorporated (Americans for Restitution and Rightings of Old Wrongs)

Seeks to improve standard of living for Native Americans.

Association on American Indian Affairs (AAIA)

Provides legal and technical assistance to tribes in education, health, and economic development.

Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP)

Organization of American Indian Physicians that encourages Native youth in the health profession.

Association of Community Tribal Schools (ACTS)

Advocates Indian self-determination and tribally controlled schools.

Cherokee National Historical Society (CNHS)

Preserves history and tradition of the Cherokee people and assists in educating the general public.

Coalition for Indian Education (CIA)

Organization of Native American educators working to provide quality education.

Concerned American Indian Parents (CAIP)

Seeks to improve racist conditions that face Native American children.

Council of Energy Resource Tribes (CERT)

Provides technical assistance to tribes owning energy resources.

Council for Indian Education (CIE)

Seeks to improve education for Native Americans.

Council for Native American Indians (CNAIP)

Organization of individuals interested in philosophy and teachings of the earlier indigenous groups. Conducts research.

First Nations Development Institute (FNDI)

Helps tribes achieve self-sufficiency by promoting economic development and commercial enterprise.

Gathering of Nations

Promotes the expression of Native American culture and religion.

Indian Arts and Crafts Association (IACA)

Promotes, preserves, protects the understanding of authentic American Indian arts and crafts.

The Taino Inter-Tribal Council Inc.


http://www.hartford-hwp.com/taino

 

The Taino Tribal Council of Jatibonuco


http://www.hartford-hwp.com/taino/jatibonuco.html

(11/18/96)

 

 

History of the Schaghticoke Indian Tribe

The Schaghticoke Indian tribe is the continuation of the Weantinock tribe

With the change of the location of the main tribal settlement from Weantinock to Schaghticoke, the name under which the tribe became known changed likewise to Schaghticoke.

 

Welcome to the Mashantucket Pequot
                                                                     Museum and Research Center!
http://www.cradleboard.org/2000/tribal_w.html

 

LINKS TO NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE RESOURCES
 

 


 

PAGE 2

THE RIGHTS OF NATIVE AMERICANS

 

 

 

MTWT HOME