Pequot
The Pequot are a Native American tribe historically located in Connecticut, specifically around the lower Thames River, where they thrived as a horticultural people. In the early seventeenth century, their population was approximately 13,000, living in large fortified villages marked by a matrilineal agricultural system, primarily cultivating corn, beans, and squash. The tribe is known for its complex social structure, led by a chief sachem who wielded influence rather than direct power. The arrival of European settlers in the early 1600s, coupled with a devastating smallpox epidemic, drastically reduced their numbers and led to conflicts such as the Pequot War in 1636-37, which resulted in significant loss of life and further displacement.
Despite these challenges, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe has experienced a revival since receiving federal recognition in 1983, which allowed them to reacquire land and establish the Foxwoods Resort Casino. The tribe is actively working to preserve their cultural heritage, including language revitalization efforts. Currently, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe is engaged in initiatives for economic development and environmental sustainability, while also navigating the complexities of federal recognition for other Pequot groups. As of the mid-2020s, the Eastern and Paucatuck Pequots continue to seek permanent recognition, reflecting the ongoing struggle and resilience of Indigenous communities.
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Pequot
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: Northeast
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Algonquian
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Connecticut
- POPULATION SIZE: 955 (2021: ACS 5-Year Estimates American Indian and Alaska Native Detailed Tables: Pequot Tribal Grouping Alone)
In the early seventeenth century, the Pequots, probably numbering about 13,000 persons, occupied a territory on the lower Thames River in present-day Connecticut. The Pequots were a horticultural people, subsisting chiefly on corn, beans, and squash raised by the women. Men hunted to supplement these foods, and both sexes harvested the rich resources of fish and shellfish available nearby. There were two large, fortified villages with about seventy wigwams each, several smaller, unfortified ones, and some scattered hamlets. Sassacus, who became chief sachem in 1634, lived in the principal village, Weinshauks, in present-day Groton. The chief sachem, chosen from a chiefly lineage or family, exercised a limited, traditional authority through persuasion and influence rather than direct power. Each subsidiary village had one or more local sachems. There were said to be twenty-six lesser sachems under Sassacus. This no doubt included those of conquered, tributary peoples. Considered the most warlike tribe in southern New England, the Pequots had forced several small tribes in the valley of lower Connecticut and on Long Island to become their tributaries.
The first European contact came in the early 1600s with the Dutch. In 1633, a smallpox epidemic ravaged the region, reducing Pequot numbers to about 3,000. The severe population loss among the tribes of the lower Connecticut River encouraged English settlers from Plymouth Colony and Massachusetts Bay Colony to move into the area, disrupting Indigenous American political and economic arrangements. This, along with trade rivalries and attribution to the Pequots for the murder of several English traders, precipitated the Pequot War of 1636–37. Crushed in that war, many of the 1,000 to 1,500 Pequot survivors were divided among the colonists’ Indigenous American allies or sold as enslaved peoples. Others found a haven with distant Indigenous nations, and the Pequots were forbidden to have an independent existence for some years. In time, several small villages were permitted to reconstitute themselves.
In 1983, the Mashantucket Pequot Indian Land Claims Settlement Act granted federal recognition to the Mashantucket Pequots and allowed them to buy back more than 800 acres of land. Their reservation is found in Ledyard, Connecticut, and they have operated the Foxwoods Resort Casino since 1992. In 1908, the Eastern Algonquin language of the Pequots and Mohegans died with the last Indigenous speaker. However, the Mashantucket Pequots have sought to revive the language using vocabulary lists, prayers in translation, and diaries. In 2023, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation held celebrations surrounding its fortieth anniversary of federal recognition. The Mashantucket Pequots continued to evolve as an Indigenous people in the twenty-first century. As an environmental initiative, in the 2020s, the nation received over one million dollars in federal funding to switch their Indigenous government vehicles to electric or hybrid. They also continued to examine economic development opportunities, receiving an additional federal grant to explore the possibility of launching a generic pharmaceutical factory in Connecticut.
Another reservation at North Stonington, Connecticut, near Long Pond and Lantern Hill, was designated for the Pequots in the 1670s and continued to be inhabited by their descendants in the twenty-first century. The Eastern and Paucatuck Pequots filed for federal recognition in the 1970s and 1980s, and they eventually joined efforts. In 2002, the Bureau of Indian Affairs recognized the Historical Eastern Pequot Tribe, but the Department of the Interior challenged and overturned this designation three years later. As of the mid-2020s, they had yet to receive permanent federal recognition. However, both were considered state-recognized Indigenous nations. Further, the Department of the Interior was considering a proposal to allow previously denied petitioners another opportunity to apply for recognition.
Bibliography
"About Eastern Pequot." Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation, www.easternpequottribalnation.org/about. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
Bordonaro, Greg. "With $2.5M Grant, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation to Explore Launching CT Generic Drug Production Facility." Hartford Business Journal, 2 July 2024, www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/with-25m-grant-mashantucket-pequot-tribal-nation-to-explore-launching-ct-generic-drug. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
"Causes of the Pequot War." Connecticut History, 28 Nov. 2012, connecticuthistory.org/causes-of-the-pequot-war. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
Libby, Sam. "Tribes to Revive Language." New York Times, 18 Oct. 1998.
Martin, Amy. "This Hard Land: The Eastern Pequots Struggle to Reclaim Tribal Territory." Connecticut College, www.conncoll.edu/news/cc-magazine/past-issues/2020-issues/winter-2020/this-hard-land. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
Poling, Lily Belle. "Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Receives over $1.5 Million to Embrace Electric Vehicles." Yale Daily News, 9 Sept. 2024, yaledailynews.com/blog/2024/09/09/mashantucket-pequot-tribal-nation-receives-over-1-5-million-to-embrace-electric-vehicles. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
"2021: ACS 5-Year Estimates American Indian and Alaska Native Detailed Tables: Pequot Tribal Grouping Alone." United States Census Bureau, data.census.gov/table?q=pequot+tribal+grouping. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.