Mashantucket Pequot Museum Libraries and Archives Blog

Meet the Author this Saturday, Jan. 28

2012-01-25T11:45:00.002-05:00

The Museum was closed on January 21-too much snow! Our Meet the Author program takes place this Saturday, January 28, at 11:30 am-12:30 pm. Come meet Larry Spotted Crow Mann (Nipmuc) and talk with him about his book, Tales from the Whispering Basket. Buy a copy from him and get it autographed at his talk.

Larry Spotted Crow Mann

2012-01-19T13:47:00.003-05:00

Snow? Maybe this Saturday…we hope not because Larry Spotted Crow Mann (Nipmuc) will be in the Research Library from 11:30 until 12:30 pm, greeting people and talking about his book, Tales from the Whispering Basket, composed of short pieces reflecting his Native roots and family traditions. So if it doesn’t snow and you want to meet him, please come to the first-ever Meet the Author program. It’s free! If the Museum is closed-call 800-411-9671 to check the status-come next Saturday, January 28, same time and place.

Meet the Author: Larry Spotted Crow Mann

2012-01-05T14:42:00.003-05:00

Saturday, January 21, 11:30 am-12:30 pm

This year the Research Library debuts Meet the Author, a new program that brings local Native authors to the Museum to discuss their works. We’re pleased that Larry Spotted Crow Mann (Nipmuc) is the first featured writer in the series. His book, Tales from the Whispering Basket, has received praise from readers and reviewers. His stories reflect his Native roots and family oral traditions but also embrace universal themes, with mature content. Spotted Crow has performed here with The Quabbin Lake Singers, and now we welcome him as a writer. Please join us to hear him talk about his book and the inspiration for writing the stories. Buy a copy for yourself or as a gift and get it autographed. In the Research Library, ages 14 and older. Free. Snow date is Jan. 28.

Smoke Signals

2011-11-23T15:01:00.002-05:00

A group of 11 enthusiastic readers attended the Research Library’s discussion of Sherman Alexie’s Smoke Signals: A Screenplay on Saturday, November 19. Led by former MPMRC Public Programs Director, theater director, and dramaturge Betsy Theobald Richards, the group talked about the ways in which the author developed the story (originally featured as a short story in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven) into a screenplay for film. The group shared their thoughts about Alexie’s portrayal of life on and off the Coeur d’Alene Indian reservation and the humorous, sometimes poignant, ways he depicts the main characters, Victor and Junior, as they leave the reservation and face challenges and prejudices in the outside white world, what one character describes as a “foreign country.” Betsy further explored how Alexie developed his character(s), revealing a sense of underlying humanity within scenes of complex and conflicted emotions and the power of forgiveness. Following the discussion, participants viewed the film in the Museum Auditorium.

If you’re sorry that you missed this book/film discussion, please consider coming to the debut of our Meet the Author series on Jan. 21, 2012. Larry Spotted Crow Mann (Nipmuc) talks about his book, Tales from the Whispering Basket. And on March 31, visit with Granny Squannit, Joan Tavares Avant (Mashpee Wampanoag) as she talks about her book, People of the First Light. More information about these free talks will be posted soon!

Fresh Eyes in the Archives

2011-11-10T09:10:00.013-05:00

Online access opens the doors of archives all over the world to armchair travellers and researchers. But, as more than 40 students who visited our Archives in the past month have found, the “real thing” can transport us to another time and place in a way that digital surrogates may not.

Visiting high school students brought keen eyes and a fresh perspective to documents such as an 18th century contract, in which a Shinnecock mother agrees to offer her son as an indentured servant when he reaches the age of six. Deciphering handwriting from 1755 and imagining the context and environment in which it was written made students feel like “detectives.”

After visiting a replica of Martha Hoxie “Matt” Langevin’s home in the Musuem, students “heard” the perseverance in her voice in the Archives, as they read some letters she wrote in the 1920s. Matt Langevin was a Mashantucket Pequot Tribal member and a beloved inspiration to subsequent generations of Pequots returning to the land.

Experienced and novice researchers alike are welcome in our Archives. Their visits provide a learning experience for both patron and archivist – and sometimes inspire the archivist to write some lyrics…

Pardon me miss, but I’ve never done this with a Real Live Page.
I’ve been on line but this is my first time with a Real Live Page.
Pardon me if gazing at these ancient leaves,
Fogs up my glasses and buckles my knees.
It’s so engaging to sit here while paging through time – it’s sublime,
With a Real Live Page.

(dig up the tune in your music archives, from Cy Coleman’s song, Real Live Girl )

Smoke Signals: Screenplay and Film

2011-11-09T15:28:00.003-05:00

Only 2 weeks until the Smoke Signals screenplay and film discussion, here on November 19, at 2 pm. It’s free and you don’t even have to read the screenplay to enjoy the discussion and to watch the film! Here’s some information about Betsy Richards, discussion leader. She is a knowledgeable and entertaining speaker and we think it will be fun to compare the screenplay and the film (shown around 3:15 pm). Call (860) 396-6897 for information.

Betsy Theobald Richards (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) is currently the Creative Fellow with the Opportunity Agenda, a progressive communications and policy organization based in New York City. Formerly she was a Program Officer in Media, Arts and Culture at the Ford Foundation overseeing a national grant making portfolio on Native American arts and cultures. In addition, she had the pleasure of serving as the Director of Public Programs for Mashantucket Pequot Museum from its opening through 2003. In Betsy’s creative life, she is a theater director, playwright, producer and dramaturge. She is currently a member of the graduate faculty of New York University’s Heyman Center for Philanthropy and serves as the Senior Cultural Advisor to Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts. She is a graduate of NYU and the Yale School of Drama and lives in Montclair, NJ with her husband Scott and children Cole and Annabel.

Smoke Signals: Book & Film

2011-10-05T10:02:00.005-04:00

We now have some copies of Smoke Signals: A Screenplay, which are available to borrow from the Research Library, if you are coming to our next Reading Circle on November 19, 2011. The story of Thomas Builds-the-Fire and Victor Joseph's journey to Phoenix first appeared in Sherman Alexie's story collection, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. We are finding it's interesting to read the screenplay and compare it with the movie-which is one of the first films written and directed by American Indians. Come at 2 pm to discuss the screenplay with Betsy Theobald Richards (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) and stay for the movie in the auditorium around 3:15 pm. Betsy was director of Public Programs at the Museum for more than 5 years, before moving to the New York City area where she worked for the Ford Foundation and is currently teaching and consulting. We are excited about this book-to-film program and hope others will be, too. Call 860-396-6897 for information.

New Books in the Research Library

2011-09-10T14:48:00.008-04:00

Johnston, Basil. Think Indian: Languages are Beyond Price. Wiarton, ON: Kegedonce Press, 2011.

Cahill, Cathleen D. Federal Fathers and Mothers: A Social History of the United States Indian Service 1869-1933. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2011.

Geake, Robert A. A History of the Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island: Keepers of the Bay. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2011.

Rielly, Edward J. Legends of American Indian Resistance. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2011.

Slater, Sandra & Fay A. Yarbrough, eds. Gender and Sexuality in Indigenous North America 1400-1850. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 2011.

What We're Reading this Week

2011-08-19T15:47:00.007-04:00

Just finished Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Creek) and have ordered the newest book in her vampire series. Tantalize: Kieren’s Story is a graphic novel published this month by Candlewick. It’s easy to get deep into the world of vampires, werewolves, and angels with Quincie, Kieren, and Zachary. We have many of her other books, including the ones about American Indian kids, Jenna in Jingle Dancer, Ray in Indian Shoes, and Rain in Rain is Not My Indian Name. Check out her site for lots of information about her and her gothic fantasies at http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/ or her blog http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/.

And while we’re on the topic of gothic novels, Drew Hayden Taylor (Ojibwa) author, columnist, filmmaker, lecturer, and playwright has a great book-The Night Wanderer: A Native Gothic Novel. Who is Pierre L’Errant and why did he come to lodge with Tiffany Hunter’s family? Why does he want to live in their basement? It’s another good read!

What We’re Reading

2011-08-05T10:12:00.007-04:00

While we’re busy this summer helping people with their requests for information, photographs, and recommendations for reading lists, we have been doing a little reading ourselves. Smoke Signals: A Screenplay, written by Sherman Alexie, is on our list because Betsy Theobald Richards (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) is leading a discussion of it on November 19, 2011. The book is proving hard-to-find, but we hope to get some reading copies; however, the film, Smoke Signals, is available and it’s so good that we’re showing it here after the discussion.

The weekly newspaper, Indian Country Today, has a new magazine format which is easy to read and is very attractive, too. We subscribe to This Week from Indian Country Today: The Premier Newsmagazine Serving the Nations, Celebrating the People, and read it, especially the book reviews. Take a look at a copy the next time you visit the libraries.

Children’s Library Workshops for Kids, ages 10 to 13. Write a Poem, Draw a Picture

2011-07-15T09:38:00.006-04:00

Canyons, Echoing
going away—coming back
repeating my voice

Andrew Jones (Navajo) 11 years old

Thursdays, July 21 & Aug. 4, 10:30 – noon

Native poetry and art featured in the Mashantucket Gallery this summer inspired this program. We hope to encourage young people to create poetry and art of their own. Explore the Museum exhibits with us to find something that speaks to you—maybe it’s a dire wolf, or a dugout canoe, or life in a cozy wetu. Draw on that experience to compose and illustrate a poem. Everyone can write poetry! If rhyming doesn’t work for you, perhaps free verse or a haiku is a good way to express yourself. A haiku is three lines long with just 17 syllables and captures the essence of a feeling or object, and is often based on nature. In the Children’s Library; each session limited to 20 participants, ages 10 to 13. $15/$5 for Museum members. Call (800) 411-9671 to register by July 20 for July 21 or Aug. 3 for Aug. 4.

Poetry events in July

2011-05-20T13:01:00.001-04:00

Wednesday, July 13, 2 – 3:30 pm

Reading Circle and Discussion: The Smokehouse Boys

We are excited that Shaunna Oteka McCovey (Yurok) is joining us for our summer Reading Circle to discuss her book of poems, The Smokehouse Boys. Several of her poems are featured in the current exhibit, Sing Me Your Story, Dance Me Home: Art and Poetry from Native California, in the Mashantucket Gallery. Shaunna grew up on the Yurok Reservation in northern California and started writing poetry when she was six. In 2010, Humboldt State University named her a Distinguished Alumni for her work as an author, attorney, and advocate. Purchase The Smokehouse Boys from the Museum gift shop or borrow a copy from the Research Library. Limited to 20 participants, ages 16 and older. In the Research Library. Call (860) 396-6897 by July 9 to register. FREE

Thursday, July 14, 2 – 3:30 pm

Shaunna Oteka McCovey: Poetry from Native California

Shaunna Oteka McCovey (Yurok) reads from her book of poetry, The Smokehouse Boys; featured in Sing Me Your Story, Dance Me Home: Art and Poetry from Native California. She writes about the land and people of northwestern California and her strong family relationships and close ties to Native California. Old ways blend with today’s realities in the poems. From Food Stamps to Blue-Eyed Indian Boy, her poetry connects the past with the present and explores the relationships between generations. Join us for this rare opportunity to hear poetry read aloud by the author. Ms. McCovey signs copies of her book in the Museum gift shop after the reading in the Fleet Room. Free with Museum admissions, free to Museum members.

Tim Tingle appearing at Connecticut College

2011-03-05T14:18:00.003-05:00

Choctaw storyteller and author Tim Tingle is appearing at the 30th Annual Connecticut Storytelling Festival & Conference, held from April 29 – May 1, 2011, at Connecticut College in New London, CT. He is a wonderful storyteller who engages everyone from the moment he opens his mouth, so this is a great opportunity to hear him. Please visit www.connstorycenter.org/festival.htm for more information.

In 2007, Tim Tingle and Cherokee artist Jeanne Rorex Bridges visited the Museum to discuss how they worked together in creating their multi-award winning book, Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship & Freedom. Tim returned the next summer to tell stories during the Museum’s 10th Anniversary Celebration. His new book, Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey from Darkness into Light, is illustrated by Karen Clarkson (Choctaw) and has been named a 2011 Notable Children’s Book by the American Library Association. It’s one of his family’s stories about why they say “saltypie” when dealing with trouble, and how they have endured and supported each other through hard times. In the afterword, Tim Tingle helps readers understand about stereotypes and gives suggestions on how to educate children about American Indians in today’s world.

Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey from Darkness into Light, published in 2010 by Cinco Puntos Press.

How to say Merry Christmas

2010-12-23T11:33:00.002-05:00

HOW TO SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS! in some Native languages, from American Indian Library Association Listserv, December 2009

ALUET: Kamgan Ukudigaa
APALACHICOLA CREEK: Nettv-Cako-Rakko
ALUTIIQ ALASKA: Spraasnikam! [Happy Holidays]
WESTERN APACHE: Gozhqq Keshmish
AYMARA: Sooma Nawira-ra
BLACKFOOT: I'Taamomohkatoyiiksistsikomi
CENTRAL AHTNA: C'ehwggelnen Dzaen
CHEROKEE: Danistayohihv &Aliheli'sdi Itse Udetiyvasadisv
CHEYENNE: Hoesenestotse & Aa'eEmona'e
CHOCTAW: Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito
CREE: Mitho Makosi Kesikansi
CREEK: Afvcke Nettvcakorakko
DINE/NAVAJO: Ya'at'eeh Keshmish
GITKSAN: Hisgusgitxwsim Ha'niisgats Christ ganhl Ama Sii K'uuhl!
GUARAYU: Imboeteipri tasecoi Tupa i vave!
GWICH'IN: Drin tsal zhit shoh ohlii & Drin Choo zhit zhoh ohli
HAWAIIAN: Mele Kalikimaka & Hauoli Makahiki Hou
INUPIAQ: annaurri Aniruq & Paglaun Ukiutchiaq
INUPIATUN: Quvianaq Agaayuniqpak
INUPIK: Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!
IROQUOIS: Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson Homungradon Nagwutut & Ojenyunyat Osrasay
KAQCHIKEL: Dios Tik'ujie' Avik'in
KOYUKON: Denaahto' Hoolaanh Dedzaanh Sodeelts'eeyh
KUTCHIN: Drin Tsal Neenjit Goozu'
LAKOTA: Wanikiya Tonpi Wowiyuskin & Omaka Teca Oiyokipi
LUISENO (California): Héngchish Chamná' Pochóx'ivo
MAYA/YUCATECO: Utzul Mank'inal
METIS/MICHIF Gayayr Nwel
OJIBWE (CHIPPEWA) - Niibaa' Anami'egiizhigad & Aabita Biboo
ONEIDA: Wanto'wan Amp; Hoyan
NASKAPI: Miywaaitaakun Mikusaanor
Q'ANJOB'AL: Chi Woche Swatx'ilal Hak'ul Yet Jun Yalji Komami'
QUECHUA: Sumaj Kausay Kachun Navidad Ch'sisipi & Mosoi Watapi Sumaj Kausay Kachun
RETVARA: Mamaka Wejejer??ka
SALCHA Dzeen Chox Teedle 'Aay Nayilkaa
SENECA: A:O'-E:Sad Yos-Ha:-Se:'
TANAINA: Natukda Nuuphaa
TEWA: Hihchandi N??uphaa
TLINGIT: - Xristos Khuwdziti Kax Sh Kaxtoolxetl
TUTCHONE/NORTHERN: T'ohudinch'i Hulin Dzenu & Eyum Nan Ek'an Nenatth'at Danji Te Yesohuthin Ch'e Hadaatle
YUPIK ESKIMO, ALASKA: Alussistuaqegtaarmek Piamceci!
YUPIK/SIBERIAN: Quyanalghii Kuusma & Quyangalleq Nutaghamun Aymiqulleq

Christmas books in the Children's Library

2010-12-11T16:31:00.005-05:00

Winter is a time of giving and sharing, and a time for telling stories. Here are some children’s books about Christmas celebrations among Native people. The books include personal memories of making baseball bats from Christmas trees to learning that sharing and being together are more important than presents.

Baseball Bats for Christmas by Michael Kusugak. Annick Press, 1990

Christmas at Wapos Bay by Jordan Wheeler. Coteau Books, 2005

Circle of Wonder: A Native American Christmas Story by N. Scott Momaday. Univ. of New Mexico, 1999

Coyote Christmas: A Lakota Story by S.D. Nelson. Abrams, 2007

A Coyote Solstice Tale by Thomas King. Groundwood, 2009

The Crying Christmas Tree by Allan Crow. Pemmican Publications, 1989

Red Parka Mary by Peter Eyvindson. Pemmican Publications, 1996

Reading Circles at the Research Library

2010-11-18T09:34:00.015-05:00

Poet and Professor of English Ron Welburn (Gingaskin & Assateague/Cherokee/African American) led a thoughtful and engaging discussion of Sherman Alexie's novel The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian recently in the Research Library reading room.

For our next reading circle, which will be held on Saturday January 15, we will be discussing When Beaver Was Very Great, a collection of traditional stories and recent writings by Ojibwe elder storyteller Anne M. Dunn. The short pieces range from traditional stories to nature writing to contemporary stories of peace, justice, and environmental concerns. Trudie Lamb Richmond (Schaghticoke), storyteller and accomplished educator, will lead participants in a discussion on the telling of stories using Anne Dunn’s pieces as a guide. Participants may borrow copies of the book from the Research Library or purchase one in the Museum gift shop. Limited to 20 participants, ages 16 and older. Call (860) 396-6897 by Jan. 7 to register. Free. Snow date is Jan. 22.

Sherman Alexie Reading Circle Oct. 30

2010-09-11T16:46:00.003-04:00

On Saturday October, 30 from 2-3:30 pm, a group discussion of the National Book Award winning novel The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian will be held in the Mashantucket Pequot Museum Research Library. Written by Sherman Alexie (Spokane), the book is the semiautobiographical story of Arnold Spirit who leaves his reservation to attend high school in a neighboring town. The discussion will be led by Ron Welburn (Gingaskin & Assateague/Cherokee/African American), poet and Professor of English at Umass Amherst. Copies of the book may be borrowed from the Research Library and are available for purchase at the Museum gift shop. The discussion will be limited to 20 participants, age 16 and older. Please call the reference desk at 860-396-6897 by October 23 to register. Participation is free.

Research Library: New Books, May 2010

2010-05-05T14:39:00.004-04:00

Boyes-Watson, Carolyn. Peacemaking Circles & Urban Youth: Bringing Justice Home. St. Paul: Living Justice Press, 2008.

Butler, Monica Lynette. “Check Your Local Listings: Indigenous Representation in Television.” PhD diss., Arizona State University, 2008.

Cox, James H. Muting White Noise. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2006.

Geniusz, Wendy Makoons. Our Knowledge is not Primitive: Decolonizing Botanical Anishinaabe Teachings. Syracuse: University of Syracuse Press, 2009.

Grant-Costa, Paul. "The Last Indian War in New England : the Mohegan Indians v. the Governour and Company of the Colony of Connecticut, 1703-1774." PhD diss., Yale University, 2008.

Krupt, Arnold. All That Remains: Varieties of Indigenous Expression. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2009.

May, Karl. Winnetou. New York: Continuum, 2005.

Mundell, Kathleen. North By Northeast: Wabanki, Akwesasne Mohawk, and Tuscarora Traditional Arts. Gardiner, Maine: Tilbury House, 2008.

Munson, Terence E. “Native American Leadership Theory: A Tribal Perspective.” PhD diss., Capella University, 2007.

Vinzant, John H. The Supreme Court’s Role in American Indian Policy. New York: LFB Scholarly Publishing, 2009.

Wonderley, Anthony. At the Font of the Marvelous: Exploring Oral Narrative and Mythic Imagery of the Iroquois and Their Neighbors. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 2009.

Remembering Wilma Mankiller

2010-04-07T13:30:00.007-04:00

Having received the sad news today on the passing of Wilma Mankiller, we would like to pay tribute by remembering her visit to the Research Library on October 2004 (pictured left), when she participated in our Native Authors Series. She is shown here in our reading room signing copies of her book Every Day is a Good Day: Reflections of Contemporary Indigenous Women.

Mankiller was the former principal chief of the Cherokee Tribe of Oklahoma and a driving force for Native American causes and culture throughout Indian Country. Below is a brief bibliography of resources by and about this remarkable woman.

Caragliano, Maureen O’Dea. “Beyond Princess and Squaw: Wilma Mankiller and the Cherokee Gynocentric System.” M.A. diss., San Jose State University, 1997.
STACKS: E 99 .C5 C37 1997r

Janda, Sarah Eppler. Beloved Women: The Political Lives of LaDonna Harris and Wilma Mankiller. Illinois: Northern Illinois University Press, 2007.
STACKS: E 98 .W8 J36 2007

Mankiller, Wilma. “Introduction.” In Reflections on American Indian History: Honoring the Past, Building a Future, edited by Albert L. Hurtado. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2008.
STACKS: E 76 .W55 2005

Mankiller, Wilma. Every Day is a Good Day: Reflections by Contemporary Indigenous Women. Colorado: Fulcrum Publishing, 2004
STACKS: E 98 .W8 M25 2004

Mankiller, Wilma. Mankiller: A Chief and Her People. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1993.
STACKS: E 99 .C5 M335 1993

New Schemitzun materials in Archives

2010-04-01T09:16:00.003-04:00

Archives & Special Collections has recently received a collection of graphics project files developed by the former MPTN Creative Arts department. Featured in this collection are many examples of imagery used to promote Schemitzun powwows from 1996-2002. Patrons may view artwork used for magazine advertisements, flyers, bumper stickers and posters as well as the imagery printed on products such as t-shirts and coffee mugs.

Also featured in the Creative Arts collection are several hundred video tapes of Schemitzun footage taken from 1993 - 2007. All of the Creative Arts material is available to be viewed by the public. If you would like to make an appointment, please use the contact information below, or make a request to visit the Archives at the library reference desk:

Phone: 860-396-7020
Email: archive [at] mptn-nsn [dot] gov

Image: Schemitzun t-shirt artwork from 1999

Recent Research on Nipmuc and Eastern Pequot Lifeways

2010-02-27T09:10:00.007-05:00

The following master's theses on Nipmuc and Eastern Pequot lifeways have kindly been donated by the UMAss Boston Historical Archaeology Department. We would like to thank program director Stephen W. Silliman, Ph. D., whose past work includes archaeological field research on the Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation’s historic 225–acre reservation.

Cipolla, Craig N. 2005
Negotiating Boundaries of Colonialism: Nineteenth-Century Lifeways on the Eastern Pequot Reservation, North Stonington, Connecticut.

Fedore, Michael A. 2008
Consumption and Colonialism: A Zooarchaeological Analysis of Two Eighteenth-Century Sites on the Eastern Pequot Reservation.

Jacobucci, Susan A. 2006
Constant Changes: A Study of Anthropogenic Vegetation Using Pollen and Charcoal on the Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation Reservation, North Stonington, Connecticut.

Law, Heather 2008
Daily Negotiations and the Creation of an Alternative Discourse: The Legacy of a Colonial Nipmuc Farmstead.

McNeil, Julie A. 2005
Potsherds and People: Considering the Connections between Ceramics and Identity at the Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation Reservation, North Stonington,Connecticut.

Pezzarossi, Guido 2008
Consumption as Social Camouflage: “Mimicry” and Nipmuc Survival Strategies in the Colonial World.

Witt, Thomas A. 2007
Negotiating Colonial Markets: The Navigation of 18th-Century Colonial Economies by the Eastern Pequot.

New Tribal Website

2010-02-12T10:28:00.005-05:00

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation has published its first public website.

http://www.mptn-nsn.gov/

Question & Answer: Berry Preservation

2010-02-05T09:22:00.003-05:00

Question: I have read that berries were a important part of the Native American diet. How were berries preserved by Native people, who had no means of canning or refrigeration?

Answer: There are materials here in the library that suggest that a common method of preserving the berries was to dry them and then ground them into a flour type of consistency. The dried and ground berries were then used in recipes.

"Although we now have many ways of storing foods for use out of season, the Indians usually had to rely on just one method - drying. This is what they did when they found more chokecherries than they cared to eat fresh.

The Jicarilla Apaches ground the berries and made the meal into round cakes approximately 6 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. These hard, blackish patties could be stored and reconstituted when they were needed by soaking in water. The seeds contain a fair percentage of cyanide, but this poison is volatile and drive off by cooking. The soaked cherry cakes were boiled and the juice strained and sometimes sweetened for use as a beverage, or the juice was combined with other ingredients."
Source--Niethammer, Carolyn. American Indian Cooking: Recipes from the Southwest. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1999

"Berries, both fresh and dried, were important in the diet of Northwestern tribes. According to Skokomish chef Bruce Miller, the wild cranberry, about a quarter of the size of those sold commercially, is only one of the many varieties of berries available in the Northwest.

Traditionally, fresh berries were cooked by placing alternating layers of berries and heated stones in a special cedar cooking box or a tightly woven basket. After the stones were removed, the cooked berries - depending on the variety and the desired use - were either left to sit and thicken or were thickened more quickly by an addition of dried powdered berries or powdered skunk cabbage leaves. Thickened berries were formed into cakes and placed on wooden drying racks lined with skunk cabbage leaves. After drying over a hot alder-wood fire, the finished cakes were stacked and tied with soft shredded cedar bark and stored in a warm, dry place for future use."
Source--Cox, Beverly and Martin Jacobs. Spirit of the Harvest: North American Indian Cooking. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, Inc., 1991.

Email your questions to: reference [at] mptn-nsn.gov

Online Tables of Contents & Indices to Key Journals Related to Northeast Native American Studies

2010-01-21T11:13:00.003-05:00

Archaeology of Eastern North America
http://www.esaf-archeology.org/publicationstofc.html

Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeology Society
http://www.massarchaeology.org/bulletins.htm

Bulletin of the Archaeology Society of Connecticut
http://www.connarchaeology.org/html/body_tocs.html

Connecticut History
http://asch.ccsu.edu/CT_History/Table_of_contents.htm

Papers of the Algonquian Conference
http://anthropology.uwo.ca/firstnations/AlgonquianPAC/cumulativeIndexByAuthor.html

New England Quarterly
http://www.northeastern.edu/neq/issues.html

Northeast Anthropology (formerly Man in the Northeast)
http://www.albany.edu/northeast_anthropology/toc.htm

William and Mary Quarterly
http://oieahc.wm.edu/wmq/?svr=www

2010 American Indian Youth Literature Award

2010-01-20T13:44:00.010-05:00

The 2010 American Indian Youth Literature Award winners were announced at the American Library Association Mid-Winter Conference in January 2010. Author Thomas King and illustrator Gary Clement were the recipients of the Picture Book Award for their book A Coyote Solstice Tale. The Middle School winner is Meet Christopher: An Osage Indian Boy from Oklahoma by Genevieve Simermeyer. Between the Deep Blue Sea and Me by Lurline Wailana McGregor took the Young Adult prize.

The American Indian Youth Literature Awards recognize excellence in books by and about American Indians. By identifying and honoring outstanding writing and illustrations in the field of youth literature, the American Indian Library Association encourages authors, illustrators, editors, publishers and tribal entities to create materials that “present Native Americans in the fullness of their humanity in the present and past contexts.”

Please visit the Children’s Library to read the 2010 winners!

The 2010 Award Winners

Picture Book

A Coyote Solstice Tale by Thomas King, illustrated by Gary Clement. (Groundwood Books, 2009)

The universal lesson that sharing and being together are more important than things comes from a human child and Coyote in this humorous book.

Middle School Book

Meet Christopher: An Osage Indian Boy from Oklahoma by Genevieve Simermeyer. (National Museum of the American Indian/Smithsonian Institution in association with Council Oak Books, 2008)

Meet Christopher and spend some time with him as he combines his family’s Native traditions with popular 21st century activities.

Young Adult Book

Between the Deep Blue Sea and Me by Lurline Wailana McGregor. (Kamehameha Publishing, 2008)

Torn between her career as a museum curator in California and her family in Hawai’i, Maona Kawelo must make some difficult choices.

Two Old Women Reading Circle

2010-01-16T14:28:00.006-05:00

Director of Public Programs, Trudie Lamb Richmond led a group discussion of the book Two Old Women by Velma Wallis, January 16 2010 at the Mashantucket Pequot Research Library.

Shkook: Snake Stories in Pequot Country

2009-11-05T14:53:00.004-05:00

The following text and images are taken from a vitrine display currently on exhibit directly outside the Research Library.

As Museum staff prepared for the summer 2009 exhibit “Pequot Lives in the Lost Century,” we began to identify key issues in Pequot history – resistance to encroachment, protection of sovereignty, military service, community ties, the urban experience, and life on the reservation. We were also on the lookout for good stories for future exhibits. As staff conducted new oral histories and reviewed older ones, a particular theme emerged. There were lots of Pequot stories about snakes. Inspired by the richness of the oral histories, the research team began to dig a little deeper. What we found was remarkable.

One of the first European accounts of Pequots (in 1626) involved a ritual offering at a snake den along the Connecticut River. During the following century, two Pequot sachems, Robin Casacinnamon I and II, both signed documents with snake “marks.” Local histories recount and exciting tale of rattlesnake extermination. In a passionate plea for the restoration of their lands, auctioned illegally in 1856, Pequots were concerned that they would “perish without bread or water in a den of red snakes [copperheads].”

By the early 20th century, one Pequot family (Martha Hoxie and her husband Napoleon Langevin) set up a platform at the bottom of Lantern Hill and conducted “snake dances” with copperheads, while serving ice cream and hotdogs. Other Pequots, including Earl Roy Colebut, earned an income by collecting copperheads for the Bronx Zoo as the zoological garden was expanding its poisonous snake collection and producing anti-venom. Martha “Aunt Matt” Langevin, who lived next to the copperhead den at Mashantucket, was well known for being able to shoot and kill these snakes from a considerable distance with her gun. Away from home some Pequots were known as “copperheads,” a reference to the snakes at Mashantucket and for others it was part of their personal identity including the late Clifford “Copperhead” Cyrus Sebastian, Sr. -- Dr. Jason Mancini, Senior Researcher, MPMRC

Image credits: Top, Signatures of historic Pequot leaders, Cassassinamon I & II. Courtesy of MPMRC Archives & Special Collections. Bottom, Three men with snakes - From left: Napoleon Langevin, George Von Buehren, “Ben” Guebert at old Warren House near Warren Pond and Rattlesnake Lodge Center Groton. Photograph May 30, 1915. Attributed to Cornelius Terry. Image courtesy of MPMRC Archives & Special Collections.

New Electronic Research Tool Available

2009-09-25T16:06:00.003-04:00

The Libraries & Archives have added a new full-text digital resource to their collection of research tools. The American Indian Experience is a collection of electronic books and journals exploring the histories and contemporary cultures of the indigenous peoples of the United States. Designed, developed, and indexed under the guidance of Loriene Roy, the first Native American President of the American Library Association, and a team of American Indian librarians and scholars, The American Indian Experience offers access to an online library, featuring more than 150 volumes of scholarship and reference content, hundreds of primary documents, and thousands of images. Material in the database may be found by way of keyword searching or via Library of Congress subject headings. This resource is available on site through the public access computer workstations in both the Research and Children's Libraries.

Archival Collection Features Material From 'Pequot Lives' Exhibit

2009-09-17T16:34:00.009-04:00

The recently closed exhibit Pequot Lives in the Lost Century (May 16th – Sept. 12, 2009) focused on the lives of Mashantucket Pequot people during the roughly 100 year period leading to the Tribe’s rebirth in 1983. The exhibit drew upon several years worth of research performed here at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center. Harley Erickson, a member of the Research staff, has compiled 27 notebooks of Pequot Lives research materials that include:

Newspaper clippings and obituaries from 18th century through the present day
Office of Indian Affairs records

Data on Pequot communities in Providence, New York and Los Angeles
Historic maps and aerial photos

Images, articles leaflets, etc. representing tribal gatherings

Notes, photos, articles, etc. pertaining to Pequots in the armed services

and much more …

A finding aid for the collection is available in the Archives & Special Collections reading room. Some materials in this collection are restricted to Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Members.

Question and answer: Narrowing your topic

2009-09-10T10:43:00.008-04:00

Question: I am a senior history student at ______ University. My last research paper is due this semester and I would like to do it on the Native Americans after Manifest Destiny. I was wondering if you could guide me to some information on this topic. Thank you.

Answer: Thanks for contacting us with your question. The topic you propose is a little too broad, but I can give you some suggestions to narrow it down. If by “manifest destiny” you mean 19th century U.S. expansion, then it seems you want to explore Native American history 20th century and beyond? Some suggestions: narrow it to a specific tribe or geographic area (such as Pacific Northwest, Great Plains, etc.). You could also, or in addition, focus on specific sub-topics such as

-Indian urbanization
-Indian activism and resistance movements
-Sovereignty
-Land tenure
-Native American’s involvement in the US military
-U.S. government’s American Indian policy

Try exploring our collection through the online catalog: http://www.mpmrc.com/
Do some keyword searching there and see what you come up with. Our collection has over 50,000 titles on Native American history and culture, so it is a good representation of what has been published. We do not lend or participate in interlibrary loan, but you should be able to get most of what we have through your university’s library system.

Feel free to ask if you need further assistance.

Sincerely,

Joseph Frawley
Reference / Info Tech Librarian
Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center

Images from the Green Corn Powwow at Pequot Museum

2009-08-21T15:45:00.012-04:00

Tarzan Brown Reading Circle

2009-07-17T09:55:00.010-04:00

Our thanks go out to Paulla Dove Jennings and all who participated in our most recent Reading Circle where we discussed the biography of Narragansett marathoner Ellison "Tarzan" Brown. Ms. Jennings' personal insights into the Tarzan Brown story balanced out what was agreed to be a well documented but slightly impersonal account of the athlete. In the course of the discussion, it became clear that the research in Michael Ward's biography would make a great springboard for another author to build upon, perhaps focusing more on Brown's personal, family, and cultural background. Thanks again for making this event a success.

New Archival Collection: Foxwoods Creative Arts

2009-06-25T11:04:00.006-04:00

Archives & Special Collections has recently received a large collection of video and image materials of Tribal events documenting the period from 1993 - 2007. The collection, created by former MPTN Creative Arts department, is comprised of approximately 2,350 video tapes and 1.6 terabytes of digital materials that are considered important in documenting the history of MPTN.

Highlights of the collection include:

Meet The Tribe - a series of brief interviews with Mashantucket Pequot Tribal members created for WIN-TV, the Foxwoods television network
Schemitzun footage from 1993 to 2007
Groundbreaking and construction footage of Foxwoods Resort Casino and the Mashantucket Pequot Museum
Language materials such as Pequot language classes and footage of the Revitalizing Algonquian Languages Conferences
The Lake of Isles Archaeology Project

A finding aid with a complete listing of the tapes in the collection is available in the Archives & Special Collections reading room. Certain materials may be restricted.

Phone: 860-396-7020
Email: archive [at] mptn-nsn.gov

Tribal Council at the groundbreaking for MGM Grand on November 15, 2005
from Creative Arts Collection

Frequently Confused Tribal Designations

2009-06-06T10:28:00.008-04:00

Image: distribution of Algonquian languages,
Source: Wikipedia commons
Algonquian (Algonkian) Vs. Algonquin (Algonkin)

The term Algonquian (pronounced al-GON-kee-in) refers to a language family- that is a group of related languages- spoken from Northeastern North America to the Rocky Mountains. Peoples speaking one of these Algonquian languages are sometimes referred to as Algonquian Indians, which is a broader term than their specific tribal name, such as Mi’kmaq, Ojibwa, Wampanoag, etc. This broader term, Algonquian Indians, is often subdivided geographically, as in Eastern Algonquian and Central Algonquian, each of which includes many different tribes. The Pequot, for example, are considered an Eastern Algonquian tribe.

The term for the language family was derived from the name of a specific tribal people, the Algonquin. According to Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes, 3rd Ed. (Carl Waldman, Editor. New York: Facts on File, 2006), the Algonquin currently consist of nine bands with reserve lands in Quebec and Ontario, with the Abitibi as a subtribe.

Both are sometimes spelled with a ‘k’, instead of ‘qu’.

Mahican (Mohican) Vs. Mohegan

The tribal names Mahican (Mohican) and Mohegan are similarly confused. Each is a distinct tribe, though their histories share a relatively close geographic area.

The Mahican historically lived in what is now New York (northern Hudson Valley), and also in the areas of southern Vermont, western Massachusetts, and northwestern Connecticut. In the 18th Century, various Mahican bands relocated or merged with other Algonquian tribes. The Stockbridge-Munsee tribe of Wisconsin is the result of the merger of the Munsee band of Lenni Lenape and Stockbridge band of Mahican. They now use the spelling Mohican, with an ‘o’.

The Mohegan is a Connecticut tribe, culturally and historically related to the Pequot. Their present day reservation is in Uncasville, Connecticut where they operate Mohegan Sun Casino.

The fictional Mohican people, featured in James Fenimore Cooper’s 1826 novel The Last of the Mohicans, is a creation of the author, which draws on elements of both the tribes mentioned above.

Note: There is also a group calling themselves “Western Mohegan Tribe and Nation”, located in Greenfield Park, New York. Though they use the name Mohegan, they claim historical connection to the New York/Vermont Mahicans mentioned above. They were exposed as fraudulent in 2004 ( See New York Times article, June 3, 2004: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/03/nyregion/man-with-flair-for-reinventing-himself-goes-a-step-too-far.html )

Eastern Pequot Vs. Western Pequot

The history of the Pequot Tribe and their ultimate division into Eastern and Western factions has been well documented (see especially Campisi, Jack. “The Emergence of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe”. In The Pequots of Southern New England: The Rise and Fall of an American Indian Nation, Hauptman and Wherry, eds. University of Oklahoma Press, 1990.) To summarize, after the Pequot War, the resulting Treaty of Hartford forbade the Pequot to remain as a tribe and divided its members among the tribes allied with the English, primarily the Mohegan and Narragansett. Over time, the Pequots violated the treaty and regrouped, then becoming generally divided into two bands, the Eastern Pequot near the Paucatuck River in Stonington, Connecticut, and the Western, or Mashantucket Pequot located themselves originally near the Thames River in New London, Conn.

The following passage, from The Pequots in Southern New England: The Fall and Rise of an American Indian Nation, edited by Laurence M. Hauptman and James D. Wherry, provides more detail:

"At the close of the Pequot War, the tribe faced annihilation, a majority of the tribe having been killed and the remainder enslaved. In disposing of the few survivors, the colonies sent some Pequots to the Narranganxetts, the Mohegans, and the Eastern Niantics. In addition, a few were sold into slavery and shipped to Bermuda, or given to local English settlers to work on their farms.

These arrangements did not last, partly because the English quickly realized that they had unwittingly strengthened their potential foes, and partly because the enslaved tribal members were unwilling to accept their condition. By the 1650s the two groups of Pequots under the control of the Narrangansett sachem Miantonomo and Uncas, sachem of the Mohegans, had achieved independence from their captors. Having freed themselves, the Pequots again presented a problem to the English: what was the colony of Connecticut going to do with them? Its answer was to establish four Indian towns supervised by two Pequot "governors". Under this arrangement Robin Cassacinamon, who headed the Western or Mashantucket Pequots, as they later were called, controlled Nameag and Nawpauge, while Caushawashett, also known as Wequash Cook and Harmon Garrett, leader of the Eastern Pequots controlled Pauguatuck and Weepauge."

Today the Mashantucket Pequot are a federally recognized tribe whose reservation is in Mashantucket (Ledyard) Conn. The Eastern (Paucatuck) Pequot are based in North Stonington, Conn.

Note: The Eastern Pequots split in early 1980s into two factions: Eastern Pequots and Paucatuck Eastern Pequots. The BIA recognized the groups as one in the same in a 2002 decision, but revoked federal recognition (along with the Schaghticoke) in 2005 following pressure from local interest groups. They now are united as one under the name Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation. See “Schaghticoke and Eastern Pequot Decisions Reversed” Indian Country Today, October 19, 2005.

Sources consulted

Hauptman, Laurence M. and James D. Wherry, eds. The Pequots in Southern New England: The Fall and Rise of an American Indian Nation. Norman: Univ. of Oklahoma Press, 1990.

Guilette, Mary E. American Indians in Connecticut, Past to Present. Connecticut Indian Affairs Council, 1979

Swann, Brain, ed. Algonquian Spirit : Contemporary Translations of the Algonquian Literatures of North America. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, c2005.

Waldman, Carl, ed. Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes. New York: Facts on File, 2006.

Trigger, Bruce G., ed. Handbook of North American Indians. Vol. 15, Northeast. Washington : Smithsonian Institution, 1978.

Recent Research By MPMRC Staff

2009-05-26T14:33:00.005-04:00

2008 and the 1st half of 2009 saw the publication of the following works by Mashantucket Pequot Museum research staff.

Handsman, Russell G. "Landscapes of Memory in Wampanoag Country, and the Monuments Upon Them." In Archaeologies of Placemaking: Monuments, Memories, and Engagement in Native North America, edited by Patricia E. Rubertone. Walnut Creek, Calif. : Left Coast Press, c2008.
Online catalog record

Mancini, Jason R. "Beyond Reservation: Indians, Maritime Labor, and Communities of Color from Eastern Long Island Sound, 1713-1861." In Gender, Race, Ethnicity, and Power in Maritime America: Papers from the Conference Held at Mystic Seaport, September 2006, edited by Glenn S. Gordinier. Mystic, Conn. : Mystic Seaport, c2008.
Online catalog record

McBride, Kevin. "Pequot Medicine Bundle: Bundles, Bears, and Bibles: Interpreting Seventeenth-Century Native 'Texts'." In Early Native Literacies in New England : a Documentary and Critical Anthology, edited by Kristina Bross and Hilary E. Wyss. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, c2008.
Online catalog record

McBride, Kevin and David Naumec. Technical Report : Battlefield of Mystic Fort Documentation Plan. Mashantucket, Conn. : Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center, 2009. Submitted to National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program, March 1, 2009.
Online catalog record

Naumec, David J. "From Mashantucket to Appomattox: The Native American Veterans of Connecticut's Volunteer Regiments and the Union Navy" New England Quarterly, v.81:no.4 (Dec. 2008): 596-635
REFERENCE DESK: Article File

Naumec, David J. “Connecticut Indians in the War of Independence.” Connecticut History v.47:no.2 (Fall 2008): 181-218.
REFERENCE DESK: Article File

Listen Up: Online Audio

2009-05-13T11:19:00.004-04:00

The following is a roundup of some of the interesting, and free, audio content currently available online that is relevant to the scope of our collections. For those just becoming familiar with online audio, a podcast is a series of audio programs in MP3 format that can be downloaded individually or subscribed to through a syndication feed (RSS). Streaming audio is audio content that you listen to on demand, usually directly through your web browser.

Historian David Naumec Discusses Connecticut Native American Military Involvment
Bill Fowler, Chair of New England Quarterly's Board of Directors, speaks with Mr. Naumec about his article, "From Mashantucket to Appomattox: The Native American Veterans of Connecticut's Volunteer Regiments and the Union Navy" in New England Quarterly, December 2008, Vol. 81, No. 4
http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/suppl/10.1162/tneq.2008.81.4.596

Eastern Pequot Archaeology
Stephen Silliman (UMass) Discusses His Work with the Eastern Pequot Archaeological Field School on WFUMB, FM 91.9, Boston.
http://www.faculty.umb.edu/stephen_silliman/Articles/WUMB%20Commonwealth%20Journal%20(May%202006).mp3

"Keeping The Native Nipmuc Language Alive"
Streaming audio. Feature story on NPR's All Things Considered, April 13, 2009. Part of a four-part series aired in conjunction with the PBS television series We Shall Remain.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103028551

Indigenous Politics: From Native New England and Beyond
Audio series by Dr. J. Kehaulani Kauanui, of Wesleyan University. http://indigenouspolitics.mypodcast.com/
Includes discussions of regional interest, such as:
2-13-09 Crisis on the Schaghticoke Reservation
3-11-08 A Native American Affairs Commission in Connecticut?
2-26-08 Engaging Indigenous Critiques of Native New England History
2-19-08 Beyond Conquest: Rewriting Native Connecticut: Interview with Dr. Amy Den Ouden
10-16-07 Interview with Chief Richard Velky (Chief of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation)

Native Studies Program at St. Thomas University, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Features discussions of academic topics regarding Canadian First Nations.
http://www.nativestudies.org/works.html#audio

National Museum of the American Indian
Audio content regarding programming at the NMAI.
http://www.nmai.si.edu/podcasts/

Indian Country Headline News Podcasts
A weekly audio podcast, produced by Indian County Today, providing a summary of national news items important to Native communities.
http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podcasts/14818

United States, Department of the Interior Podcast
Look for information related to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/index.html

Researching Native Americans in the Military

2009-04-30T09:47:00.000-04:00

Spring and Summer Museum programming highlights the new Mashantucket Gallery exhibit titled, Pequot Lives in the Lost Century (opening May 16), and further explores the theme of “Indians in Unexpected Places.” Both reveal the various important yet little known societal roles played by Native people during the years 1870-1970. Not least among these is service to the United States armed forces.

Subject headings
The Library of Congress has assigned a variety of different subject headings on this topic, depending on the focus of the work. Following is a list of essential subject headings to explore in our Online Catalog.

United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Participation, Indian
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Participation, Indian
United States -- History -- War of 1812 -- Participation, Indian
Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975 -- Participation, Indian
World War, 1914-1918 -- Participation, Indian
World War, 1939-1945 -- Participation, Indian

Indian code talkers
Navajo code talkers
World War, 1939-1945 -- Cryptography

Indian scouts
Indian veterans

United States -- Armed Forces -- Indians
United States. Army -- Indian troops
United States. Marine Corps -- Indian troops

Bibliographies
We have also prepared the following bibliographies as guides to our resources.
For a bibliography of Research Library materials (books, articles, videos), please see
Native Americans in Foreign and Domestic Wars

For a bibliography of archival materials from our Archives & Special Collections, please see Bibliography of Native Americans in the U.S. Military

We Shall Remain, Premieres April 2009 on PBS

2009-03-27T11:11:00.017-04:00

The We Shall Remain series, produced by American Experience in association with Native American Public Telecommunications for WGBH Boston, will premiere on PBS April 13, 2009. Episode 1, "After the Mayflower" focuses on the relationships between Wampanoag people and English colonists during the first years of contact. In support of the series, WGBH has produced an Event Kit for Libraries containing many great ideas for related library and school programming, including Guidelines for Evaluating Media About Native Peoples. These guidelines were adapted from the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center’s Evaluative Criteria for Books about Native Americans (2006), and the American Indian Library Association publication “I” Is For Inclusion: The Portrayal of Native Americans in Books for Young People (2007).

Download Guidelines for Evaluating Media About Native Peoples .

For a list of our resources related to the series, see
We Shall Remain Bibliography (Children's Library)
and We Shall Remain Bibliography (Research Library) .

Environment, Ecology, Conservation: 10 Books On Green Topics From Our Collection

2009-02-28T09:59:00.023-05:00

This update finds us eagerly awaiting the coming of Spring, and with it, the return of green leaves to the trees of Mashantucket. In that spirit, we present here a resource list on environmentally related topics from our Research Library collection.

Biodiversity and Native America / edited by Paul E. Minnis and Wayne J. Elisens. Norman : University of Oklahoma Press, c2000.

Endangered peoples : indigenous rights and the environment.
Niwot, CO : University Press of Colorado, c1994.

Forests in time : the environmental consequences of 1,000 years of change in New England / edited by David R. Foster and John D. Aber. New Haven, Conn. : Yale University Press, 2004.

How can one sell the air? : Chief Seattle’s vision / author, Chief Seattle ; editors, Eli Gifford, R. Michael Cook, and Warren Jefferson ; illustrations by Eleanor Dale Evans, Jerry Hutchens, and Warren Jefferson. Summertown, Tenn. : Native Voices, c2005.

Answering Chief Seattle / Albert Furtwangler. Seattle : University of Washington Press, c1997.

American Indian literature, environmental justice, and ecocriticism : the middle place / Joni Adamson. Tucson : University of Arizona Press, 2001.

Closing the circle : environmental justice in Indian country / James M. Grijalva. Durham, N.C. : Carolina Academic Press, c2008.

A comparison of the biblical and Native American views of the human relationship with nature / Kay Mooney Cox. Thesis (Ph.D.) -- Graduate Theological Union, 1979.

Defending mother earth : Native American perspectives on environmental justice / edited by Jace Weaver. Maryknoll, N.Y. : Orbis Books, 1996.

Ecocide of Native America : environmental destruction of Indian lands and peoples / Donald A. Grinde, Bruce E. Johansen ; foreword by Howard Zinn. Sante Fe, N.M. : Clear Light, c1995.

Even more resources may be found by searching our Online Catalog. Some suggested keywords: "human ecology", "natural history", "biodiversity", "environmental protection".

Online Genealogist - New England Historic Genealogical Society

2009-02-21T09:07:00.003-05:00

Just discovered an online service from the New England Historic Genealogical Society that may be of interest to some of our patrons:

http://www.newenglandancestors.org/research/services/online_genealogist.asp

"Longtime NEHGS staff member David Allen Lambert is now available to offer you research guidance, orientation to online resources and library-based collections via email. He also will facilitate referrals to specific NEHGS staff experts and departments when required. This position will offer a new way to serve members and potential members of NEHGS. You are invited to submit research questions to David Allen Lambert at onlinegenealogist@nehgs.org. Please note that he will make every effort to reply to each message, but will respond on a first come, first-served basis. In some cases he may need to refer individuals to the NEHGS Research Service for more in-depth research services for a fee."

Images from Special Collections now available on Flickr

2009-02-19T14:13:00.000-05:00

»» http://www.flickr.com/photos/pequotmuseumlibrary/ ««

As part of our continuing efforts to reach out to remote patrons and provide access to our materials, we have set up three preliminary Flickr galleries, which offer a glimpse into our Special Collections. If you are unfamiliar with Flickr, it is one of the largest image hosting websites, as well as an online community which encourages interaction among its users. So far, the we have made "friends" with New Bedford Whaling Museum, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Beinecke Library (Yale University) .

At the time of this blog post, digital images of select items from our Engravings, Early Maps, and Popular Culture collections are currently on view, with more to come in the future. Be sure to stop in again for updates. Or, you may subscribe to our Flickr page via RSS: Link to RSS feed

Vampires and Werewolves: Young Adult Novels by Native Authors

2009-02-11T09:17:00.011-05:00

Are there any vampire books by Native authors? Yes, there are! Fans of the popular book and movie Twilight may also find these exciting stories by American Indians for YA* readers appealing:

The Night Wanderer: A Native Gothic Novel, written by Drew Hayden Taylor (Ojibway) was published in 2007 by Annick Press. It’s a compelling vampire story set on a First Nations community in Ontario where sixteen-year-old Tiffany is dealing with major mixed-up emotions about her exciting new boyfriend, her protective and strict father, and her absent, now pregnant, mother. It’s also about Pierre L’Errant-his 350 years as a vampire roaming the world until he gives into his strong longing to return to his Ojibway village. Well known for his play Toronto at Dreamer's Rock, Drew Hayden Taylor originally wrote this vampire story as a play and later expanded it into an excellent novel. You can read an interview with him about The Night Wanderer on Cynthia Leitich Smith’s blog at: http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2008/11/author-interview-drew-hayden-taylor-on.html.

Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Creek), in addition to her excellent web site and blog, often writes about contemporary American Indian youth. However, Tantalize is very different from her well-known YA book, Rain is Not My Indian Name. A dark fantasy, Tantalize is about Quincie Morris, high school senior, restaurant owner, and vampire who loves a werewolf.

Smith’s latest book is Eternal. From the promotional materials on her web site, it sounds like a winner: “In alternating points of view, Miranda and Zachary navigate a cut-throat eternal aristocracy as they play out a dangerous and darkly hilarious love story for the ages. With diabolical wit, the author of Tantalize revisits a deliciously dark world where vampires vie with angels — and girls just want to have fangs.”

* What are YA books? They are books for young adults. Some YA books can be read and enjoyed by young teens in middle school while others appeal to high school and up readers-mostly due to their mature content.

Strength and Courage: Native American Cancer Survivor Stories

2009-01-30T15:43:00.005-05:00

The Archives & Special Collections is pleased to present a new oral history collection: Strength and Courage: Native American Cancer Survivor Stories. With funding provided by the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the New England division of the American Cancer Society, Northeast Tribal Wellness & Cancer Prevention is working to document Native American experiences with cancer to provide helpful information to current and future generations. Transcripts of taped interviews with Native American cancer survivors are available to be viewed by the general public and researchers. Recordings and mementos are also being collected, though some of these materials may be restricted. This on-going project is currently focusing on members of the Mashantucket Pequot tribe. The long-term goal is to collect donations from Native American cancer survivors throughout the Northeast.

For more information contact the Archives & Special Collections.

Phone: (860) 396-7020
Email: archive [at] mptn-nsn.gov

New Books - January 2009

2009-01-17T16:15:00.016-05:00

Below we list some of the most notable titles from our recent acquisitions. Please follow the link to the catalog record for more information.

Attaquin, Helen Avis Alyce. A brief history of Gay Head, or ’Aquiniuh’. [S.l. : s.n.], c1970. Catalog record

Bross, Kristina and Hilary E. Wyss, eds. Early native literacies in New England : a documentary and critical anthology. Amherst : University of Massachusetts Press, c2008. Catalog record

McBride, Kevin, David Naumec and Rahiem Eleazer. American Battlefield Protection Program grant : battlefields of the Pequot War : presentations to landholders. Mashantucket, Conn. : Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center, 2008. Catalog record

Moondancer and Strong Woman. A cultural history of the Native peoples of southern New England : voices from past and present. Boulder, Colo. : Bèauu Press, c2006. Catalog record

Morrison, Michael A. and James Brewer Stewart. Race and the early republic : racial consciousness and nation-building in the early republic. Lanham, Md. : Rowman & Littlefield, [2002]. Catalog record

Prins, Harald E.L. and Bunny McBride. Asticou’s island domain : Wabanaki peoples at Mount Desert Island, 1500-2000 : Acadia National Park ethnographic overview and assessment. Boston, Mass. : Northeast Region Ethnography Program, National Park Service, 2007. Catalog record

Rubertone, Patricia E. Archaeologies of placemaking : monuments, memories, and engagement in native North America. Walnut Creek, Calif. : Left Coast Press, c2008. Catalog record

Tucker, Spencer C., ed. The encyclopedia of North American colonial conflicts to 1775 : a political, social, and military history. Santa Barbara, Calif. : ABC-CLIO, c2008. Catalog record

Van Zandt, Cynthia J. Brothers among nations : the pursuit of intercultural alliances in early America, 1580-1660. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2008. Catalog record

Explore Inuit Art

2008-12-20T11:44:00.003-05:00

This winter, the Mashantucket Gallery hosts an exhibit of Inuit art from the Heard Museum, Arctic Spirit (December 27 – February 28), which showcases traditional and contemporary art by the indigenous peoples of the Far North. Visitors are encouraged to learn more about this topic through the Museum’s Research Library. We highly recommend the following select titles from our collection.

Arctic spirit: Inuit art from the Albrecht Collection at the Heard Museum / Ingo Hessel. (Research Library – Stacks E 99 .E7 H43 2006)
This handsomely illustrated catalog is a perfect complement to the exhibition of the same name. Visitors will find especially enlightening the artists’ interviews printed within.

Inuit art: an introduction / by Ingo Hessel; photography by Dieter Hessel; with a foreword by George Swinton. (Reading Room- Browsing Collection REF E 99 .E7 H493 1998)
Here is an excellent primer on the various arts of Inuit culture. Touching on sculpture, carving, textile weaving and the graphic arts (drawing, printmaking, and painting), this amply illustrated book provides an overview for those new to the subject. Attention is given to the historical development of these arts and their relation to the broader Inuit culture.

The Inuit imagination: Arctic myth and sculpture / Harold Seidelman & James Turner. (Reading Room – Browsing Collection E 99 .E7 S45 1994)
Combining images of contemporary Inuit sculpture with traditional stories and songs, the author’s demonstrate how closely the art and mythology of the North are interrelated.

Nuvisavik: the place where we weave / edited by Maria Von Finckenstein. (Reading Room – Browsing Collection REF NK 8998 .U66 N88 2002)
A documentation of the exhibit of the same name, this catalog is an informative and visually attractive showcase for the work of the Pangnirtung Tapestry Studio of Baffin Island. The exhibit was produced by the Canadian Museum of Civilization, which was the first touring exhibition of Inuit weaving. Full color images are complemented by a collection of essays which help place the works within their cultural context.

Eskimo masks: art and ceremony / Dorothy Jean Ray; photographs by Alfred A. Blaker. (Research Library – Stacks: E 99 .E7 R28 1967)
Written in 1967, this well researched work presented the topic of Eskimo masks as a comparatively under-represented area of study in Native Alaskan arts. A wide range of diversity is revealed within this single art form: from tiny finger masks to nearly full-body coverings; from realistic portraits to fantasy visions. The authors endeavor to show these mask as an integral part of Eskimo ceremonialism.

Songs in stone [videorecording]: an arctic journey home / Triad Film Productions; directed by John Houston; produced by Peter d’Entremont; written by John Houston and Geoff LeBoutillier. (Video Cabinets VID E 99 .E7 S663 1999)
Shot principally on Baffin Island in the wilds of the Canadian Arctic, this film pays tribute to the sculptors and printmakers of Cape Dorset, providing a sensitive and detailed look at their work.

For even more resources, a bibliography of library materials on Inuit art has been created and is available in the Research Library. The Libraries and Archives are free and open to the public during Museum hours. Contact the Research Library for more information about our resources, 860-396-6897.

Question & Answer: Wampum

2008-12-02T14:42:00.007-05:00

An occasional feature, where we post some of the interesting email questions we receive.

Question: I am trying to find out how to make wampum. I have collected the necessary shells and would now like to find a book, article, or some other source to guide me through the process. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: Thanks for contacting us. First I recommend looking at our Wampum Bibliography . The material listed there will give you some background on the history and cultural uses of wampum.

The best source we have on wampum beadmaking is found in:

Orchard, William C. Beads and Beadwork of the American Indians. Museum of the American Indian Heye Foundation. New York. 1975.

This text is also available online as part of the Universal Library Project hosted at Internet Archive: http://www.archive.org/details/beadsandbeadwork002194mbp

See the chapter on titled Wampum which includes not only a discussion of the tools used and illustrations of the bead making process, but also valuable historical and cultural information.

As far as the process for belt weaving, a great description of the process can be found on pp.51-55 of:

Morgan, Lewis Henry and Herbert Marshall Lloyd. League of the Ho-dé-no-sau-nee Or Iroquois. Dodd, Mead and Company, 1901.

Available online from Google Books: http://books.google.com/books?id=hh0TAAAAYAAJ

The most common width was 3 fingers or the width of 7 beads, the length ranging from 2 to 6 feet. In belt-making, which is a simple process, eight strands or cords of bark thread are first twisted from filaments of slippery elm, of the requisite length and size; after which they are passed through a strip of deerskin to separate them at equal distances from each other in parallel lines. A splint is then sprung in the form of a bow, to which each end of the several strings is secured, and by which all of them are held in tension, like warp threads in a weaving machine. Seven beads, these making the intended width of the belts, are then run upon a thread by means of a needle, and are passed under the cords at right angles, so as to bring one bead lengthwise between each cord and the one next in position. The thread is then passed back along the upper side of the cords, and again through each of the beads; so that each bead is held firmly in its place by means of the two threads, one passing under and one over the cords. This process is continued until the belt reaches its intended length, when the ends of the cords are tied, the end of the belt covered and afterwards trimmed with ribbons. In ancient times both the cords and the threads were of sinew.

Email your questions to: reference [at] mptn-nsn.gov

Giving Thanks: Thoughts on Native Thanksgivings from the Children’s Library

2008-11-12T10:43:00.004-05:00

November…Native Americans…Thanksgiving Day…Why do these terms seem to go together? Native people and their stories should not be relegated to the fall season-whether in curriculum, text books or storytimes. Not only do the original inhabitants of this land give thanks many times throughout the year, they and others have created a growing body of children’s literature which can and should be read throughout the year and across the curriculum.

“It is our view that, with the possible exception of classroom visits by American Indian people, excellent children’s literature is the most effective way to counter deeply held stereotypes and help children focus on similarities among people as well as cultural differences. The literature serves as a catalyst to extend related activities into other areas of the curriculum.”

Lessons from Turtle Island: Native Curriculum in Early Childhood Classrooms, by Guy W. Jones (Hunkpapa Lakota) and Sally Moomaw, published by Redleaf Press, 2002, p.xii.

To assist people in finding “excellent literature,” the Children’s Library has lists of many books written by American Indians, about themselves and their lives. These materials are important as they provide teachers, parents and children with more accurate information about the cultures, values and beliefs of many tribal nations and people. The books and videos present information not only about the importance of celebrations to Native communities today, but also about the depth and significance of traditional Native gatherings.

Powwows and socials are among the Native American gatherings held throughout the United States and Canada when people come together to celebrate their common heritages and unique cultures. Whether large or small, indoors or outside, powwows are celebrations with dancing, food, crafts, contests, family and friends. Summertime gatherings such as Strawberry Thanksgiving and the Green Corn Festival draw Native people together after having been separated by a long winter. Fall brings harvest celebrations and winter is a time for storytelling. Native American seasonal celebrations play an important role in the reaffirmation of cultures, traditions and communities both in the past and today. We recommend using books on our online bibliographies, including Selected Materials about Native American Thanksgivings, to expand knowledge and understanding of Native cultures.

Teachers, here are some books which will help you update your lesson plans about thanksgiving celebrations and encourage use of Native American materials every month of the year.

Many Thanksgivings: Teaching Thanksgiving-Including the Wampanoag Perspective. The Boston Children’s Museum, 2002.

1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving, by Catherine O’Neill Grace and Margaret M. Bruchac (Abenaki). National Geographic Society, 2001.

Thanksgiving: A Native Perspective, by Doris Seale (Santee/Cree), Beverly Slapin and Carolyn Silverman (Cherokee/Blackfeet). Oyate, 1995.

That Bloody Question

2008-11-01T14:25:00.009-04:00

The Research Library reference desk gets its fair share of unusual requests, as I'm sure any other library does. One of our strangest questions is also a recurring one. Within the past eight months I have been asked three times, "Can I get my blood tested at the library?" They mean a test for DNA analysis in order to prove Native American ancestry. The notion that you could get your blood tested at a library seems slightly less incredible when you consider the high frequency with which we receive questions related to personal genealogical research. Still, I am so taken aback each time I am asked, that I felt pressed to research the issue, if only to arm myself with some knowledge the next time I get the question.

Local genealogy resources

First, to address the issue of our genealogy resources, while the MPMRC library collections have not been developed to support this type of research, we do have a small collection of materials that could help a beginner get started: You may download our bibliography here. Visitors researching family histories from the vicinity of New London County are welcome to use our microfilm collections of census, vital, and land records from this locale. Please contact the library for more details about these records. Most often, we refer patrons with serious genealogical inquiries to the Connecticut State Library or Mystic, Connecticut's Indian & Colonial Research Center, where they have more resources and trained genealogists on staff to help.

Genetic genealogy

Back to the blood test question, genetic genealogy has been a rapidly developing field since breakthroughs in the late 1990's. It was popularized with the publication of Bryan Sykes' The Seven Daughters of Eve in 2001, and since then a number of commercial enterprises have sprung up offering services by which individuals can genetically verify their ancestral origins. Family Tree DNA, self-described as the first and largest, claims to have "the largest DNA databases in the field of Genetic Genealogy with 216831 records", but there is also AncestryByDNA.com, GeneTree, and DNA Heritage, among others. Prices for most of these tests appear to range from $100-$200.

No blood required

According to the International Society of Genetic Genealogy, "Commercial DNA testing companies utilize saliva/buccal cell sampling via swabs and various other collection containers." A typical DNA kit contains a Q-Tip type cotton swab, some instructions, and a return envelope.

What can the test tell you?

These companies get their results from matching your DNA structure against those of other samples in their database. Again from ISOGG, "If there are any matches in the database of the testing company, it will show the people you match. Depending upon the company you test with, other information may be made available to you, like your ethnic origin, [including] Native American ancestry." Test results also typically include certificates, charts, graphs, migration maps of ancestors, and in the case of Native Americans, a map of tribal origins.

For more information see:

International Society of Genetic Genealogy's FAQ: http://www.isogg.org/ggfaq.htm

Jobling, Mark; Chris Tyler-Smith (Aug, 2003). "The human Y chromosome: an evolutionary marker comes of age" . Nature Reviews Genetics 4: 599–612. Nature Publishing Group.

Shriver, Mark D. & Rick A. Kittles "Genetic Ancestry and the Search for Personalized Genetic Histories." Nature Reviews. Genetics (2004) 5:8: 611-18.

Genetic Genealogy on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_genealogy

*****************
Update 5/29/2005: We continue to find interesting articles on this topic online. Please see our bookmarks at http://delicious.com/pequotmuseumlibrary/genetics

Discovering Online Historic Documents

2008-10-17T11:59:00.003-04:00

Primary source documents play a key role in researching Native American-colonial interactions in early American history. Todays researchers have the advantage free, immediate access to primary source material. In this blog post, we will explore some of the free primary source repositories available online, and highlight some of the sources most relevant to the study of early Native American history in Southern New England.

Works published in the United States before 1923 are said to be in the public domain and may therefore legally be reproduced, republished and distributed in any form. Fortunately there are many institutions with the resources, either onsite or cooperatively, to not only digitize the original material, but also to provide the platform for entire web-accessible digital libraries. These may be academic institutions (such as University of Nebraska-Lincoln's "Digital Commons"), government agencies ("American Memory" from Library of Congress), cooperative non-profit ventures (Internet Archive or Project Gutenberg), or,as in the case of Google Books, a commercial enterprise adding value to its signature product.

Using the aforementioned digital repositories, I have located some of the primary source documents that are most frequently referenced here at the museum, in relation to early Native-colonial interactions in Southern New England. In doing so, I have found it best to diversify the search across several different sites, as you will encounter gaps in one collection that will be made up for in another. Also, learning the differences in user interfaces across different platforms reveal some to be more useful than others, depending on your personal search habits and expectations. For example, while keyword searching across titles is a common feature to all, Google Books has the advantage of results returned in a general Google search; and the Internet Archive and Project Gutenberg texts are described with Library of Congress Subject Headings for those accustomed to searching by these headings in library catalogs.

Another feature to look for and take advantage of is the availability of full text keyword searching. I recently used this feature to find a reference to Cantantowit, a figure in Algonquin folklore, which was remembered to be mentioned in the Roger Williams' A Key Into the Language of America- but where? We found it much more quickly by searching the digital text, than we would have thumbing through pages. Note that some PDF documents are not searchable, so alternatively look for an ASCII text version (ASCII documents can be opened in common desktop applications like Microsoft Word or Notepad).

The following is a list of primary source documents available online which directly support the focus of the Mashantucket Pequot Research Library, selected from a representative sample of different hosting sites. Of course, all of these sites may be used to broaden the scope to other topics in Amercian History, or other fields of study.

Willams, Roger. A Key Into the Language of America. (1643)
http://www.archive.org/details/keyintolanguageo00will

Hubbard, William. A Narrative of the Troubles with the Indians in New-England, from the First Planting Thereof ... to this Present Year 1677 ... To which is added a discourse about the warre with the Pequods in the year 1637 (1814, originally published in 1677)
http://books.google.com/books?id=VxATAAAAYAAJ
(Compare with: http://www.archive.org/details/narrativeofindia00hubb)

Higginson, Francis. New-England’s Plantation. (originally published 1630)
http://books.google.com/books?id=9BXuJEKGbUUC
(Compare with: http://www.archive.org/details/newenglandsplant00higgrich )

Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut. The Rumored Indian Plot of 1669.
http://www.colonialct.uconn.edu/ViewPageByPageNew.cfm?v=2&p=548&c=4

Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut. Laws for the Pequots, 1675.
http://www.colonialct.uconn.edu/ViewPageByPageNew.cfm?v=2&p=574&c=4

Vincent, Philip. A True Relation of the Late Battell fought in New England, between the English, and the Salvages: With the present state of things there. (1637)
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/etas/35/

Underhill, John. Newes from America; Or, A New and Experimentall Discoverie of New England; Containing, A True Relation of Their War-like Proceedings These Two Yeares Last Past, with a Figure of the Indian Fort, or Palizado. (1638)
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/etas/37/

Mason, John. A Brief History of the Pequot War. (Written ca. 1670, published posthumously in 1736)
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/etas/42/

Gardener, Lion. Relation of the Pequot Warres. (1660)
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/etas/38/

Apess, William. Indian Nullification of the Unconstitutional Laws of Massachusetts Relative to the Marshpee Tribe Or, the Pretended Riot Explained. (1835)
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/12486

Sources consulted in the creation of this article

Stanford University Libraries - CopyRight and Fair Use Overview. Chapter 8: Public Domain
http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter8/index.html

Primary Source Sites on the Internet
http://libguides.asu.edu/content.php?pid=6321&sid=39557

Repositories of Primary Sources
http://www.uidaho.edu/special-collections/Other.Repositories.html

How the Open Source Movement Has Changed Education: 10 Success Stories
http://oedb.org/library/features/how-the-open-source-movement-has-changed-education-10-success-stories

Internet Archive
http://www.archive.org/details/texts

Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page

Google Books
http://books.google.com/books

Digital Commons at University of Nebraska - Lincoln
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/

The Colonial Connecticut Records Project
http://www.colonialct.uconn.edu/

Question & Answer: Iroquois Tattoos

2008-10-03T14:53:00.012-04:00

As an occasional feature, we will post some of the interesting email questions we receive.

Question: I am currently writing a novel that focuses on the role the Iroquois played in the American Revolution. Consequently, I want to include as many accurate details as possible about the Iroquois of that time. One of these concerns Iroquois tattoos. What designs would have been common and were there more likely areas of the body to be tattooed? Any help you could give me with these questions would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: Thanks for contacting us. This passage, mentioning an Iroquois warrior’s thigh tattoos, is famously quoted in the article Sinclair, A.T. “Tattooing of the North American Indians“ (American Anthropologist 1909/11, No. 3, p. 362-400):

“Near this place we surprised the Captain General of the Iroquois, surnamed Nero by our Frenchmen who have been in their country, because of his notorious cruelty. This in time past has led him to sacrifice to the shade of a brother of his, slain in war, eighty men, burning them all at a slow fire, and to kill sixty more with his own hand. He keeps the tally of these on his thigh, which consequently appears to be covered with black characters.” --Source: The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. XLVIII. Lower Canada, Ottawas: 1662 — 1664.

You should also take a look at the famous "Four Indian Kings" portraits painted by John Verelst in 1710 which show historically accurate Iroquois facial and body tattoos. (A set of prints are part of the MPMRC's archival collection, though images of them can also be found online- here's one resource.) The four "Kings” were sachems representing the Five Nations Confederacy of the Iroquois (Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, and Mohawk) who visited Queen Anne's court to ask for military assistance against the French.

For an historical and cultural analysis of the paintings, see the following two articles from MPMRC's CrossPaths magazine.

Campisi, Jack. “More Than Meets the Eye: John Simon’s Engravings of the Four Kings.” Cross Paths Fall 2002:4,10-11.

Cook, Stephen. “The Art and Material Culture of the Four Indian Kings Paintings.” Cross Paths Fall 2002: 5, 12.

I hope this information is of some help and good luck with your novel.

Email your questions to: reference [at] mptn-nsn.gov

Reading Circles at MPMRC, Summer 2008

2008-09-04T13:52:00.035-04:00

Over the summer, the Research Library hosted two book discussion groups featuring works by Native American authors. We would like to thank all those who participated for making these events a success.

Our next Reading Circle will be held on October 18 from 2:30-4 pm, when we will focus on Louise Erdrich's The Painted Drum. The discussion will be led by Lynne Williamson, director of the Connecticut Cultural Heritage Arts Program at the Institute for Community Research. To register, call (860) 396-6897.

Below are some pictures of the two previous Reading Circles. If you missed them, both sessions have been recorded to audio CD and may be listened to in the Research Libary.

Joyce Vincent, Associate Director of Native American Student Services at UMass Amherst leading the discussion on Sherman Alexie's Indian Killer.

Ron Welburn, UMass Amherst, discussing Bowman's Store by Joseph Bruchac on August 13, 2008.

Resources for Researching Indian Law

2008-07-23T11:42:00.010-04:00

(Adapted from: Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Office of the Secretary of the Tribal Council, www.mptnlaw.com)

This is a brief summary of the tools and resources available for researching decisions of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Court and Court of Appeals and the Tribal laws. In addition, this guide contains information and suggestions on researching other tribal court decisions and Federal Indian law in general.

Mashantucket Pequot Tribe
Tribal Laws
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Laws presently are published by the Tribal Court in a set containing the general laws, the Probate Code and Rules of Court. Our call number: REF KF8228.P53 A5

The laws are also available online at http://www.mptnlaw.com/ . This web site is updated as new laws are enacted or amendments to existing laws are made. The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Laws can also be accessed through the web site of the State of Connecticut’s Judicial Branch at www.jud.state.ct.us/LawLib/Federal.htm

Tribal Court Decisions
The decisions of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Court and the Court of Appeals are published in the Mashantucket Pequot Reporter (call no. REF KF 8228 .P53 A43), a multi-volume set updated 4 times a year. The decisions are also available for your reference at the Tribal Courthouse and at Connecticut State Libraries, including the Courthouse libraries in New London and Norwich.

Another source for obtaining Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Court decisions can be found online at http://www.versuslaw.com/ . Versus Law offers a subscription-based database which allows keyword and phrase searching for tribal court decisions, including decisions from the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and the Mohegan Gaming Disputes Court.

Some of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Court decisions also can be obtained through the State of Connecticut’s Judicial Branch at www.jud.state.ct.us/LawLib/Federal.htm#Indian

Additionally, the National Tribal Justice Resource Center website offers links to
various tribal laws and decisions, including some of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Court decisions http://www.tribalresourcecenter.org/ .

Other Tribal Courts and Laws
The Indian Law Reporter (call no. REF KF 8201 .A3 I5), is a monthly publication with a subject index, that collects cases concerning Indian law and Tribal law from federal, state and tribal courts from 1975 through the present.

The Native American Law Digest (call no. REF KF 8203.1 .N38) is another resource for obtaining Tribal Court decisions. The Digest is a monthly publication that summarizes legal
decisions and discusses legal developments in the Native American community.

Decisions and laws from other tribes can be obtained through the Tribal Court Clearinghouse at http://www.tribal-institute.org/ and from the National Tribal Justice Resource Center website at http://www.tribalresourcecenter.org/ . These websites provide information concerning tribal court decisions, tribal codes and constitutions for Native American and Alaskan Native tribal
justice systems, along with links to other resources such as federal and state laws, Indian Law Reviews, supreme court decisions, and pending federal legislation.

Federal Indian Law
There are several treatises and casebooks concerning Federal Indian Law. The leading treatise in this area is Felix S. Cohen’s Handbook of Federal Indian Law (call no. REF KF 8205 .C6 1982). Some other good references are William C. Canby’s American Indian Law in a Nutshell (REF KF 8205 .Z9 C36 2004) and Cases and Materials on Federal Indian Law, published by Thompson/West (call no. REF KF 8204.5 .G47 2005)

Native American Report (Research Library - Serials Stacks) is an independent news source on Native American issues that covers legislative updates, litigation, federal news, the Federal Register, and funding opportunities.

In addition to searching via Internet, computer-assisted legal research services such as Westlaw (fee-based) are available. Westlaw provides access to federal and state cases, statutes, and administrative regulations through searchable databases. Specifically, Westlaw has a database called Native American Law in which cases, statutes, and rules can be accessed, as well as law reviews and periodicals relating to Indian law. Title 25 of the United States Code (25 U.S.C.) and Title 25 of the Code of Federal Regulations (25 C.F.R.) contain the majority of federal statutes and regulations concerning Indians.

Another source for receiving updates on current legal issues in Indian Country can be found
at various web sites, including http://www.pechanga.net/ and http://www.indianz.com/ .