One of these groups of people became farmers (called land diggers, my people), however, most of the tribes in that area were warring tribes which over time, forced this group of Monheag (Mohiingans) People East. After some time and many forced movements, this group of Monheags ended up along the Quinatucquet River, which later became known as the Connecticut River in what is now Connecticut and on to the Pequot (Thames) river area, just short of the ocean. The many years of battles and losing their farms, taught this tribe how to fight, so that when the Mashantuckets, Missituks, Niantic’s came to fight and to destroy them and take their farms, as the Mohawks, Mohicans and others had so long ago, the Monheags were ready for them, waging war first on them, then the Dutch and then the French. After this, the Dutch called them the Pequins (destroyers), later the French changed their name to Pequods and the English changed it to Pequot’s. When the English showed up on the Quinatucquet and Pequot Rivers, Sachem Wopigwooit was the leader of the tribe. After his passing, the next in line was Sassacus as leader, instead of Chief Poquiam (Unkas, Uncas). Sachem Sassacus was hoping that he would force the English back into the ocean so the people sided with him. Sassacus, like the Niantic’s and the Narragansett’s, hated the English and was at war with them constantly. War chief Poquiam (Unkas), Sassacus son in law, tried to reason with Sassacus and the people, but they would not listen to him. So he (Chief Poquiam) took all who wished to go with him, across the Pequot River, to the Cauchegan Village, gave them back their old name Mohiingans (Monheags) and became their Sachem. Once again with non natives, the English misspelled the name and we now have the name Mohegan's. All of those still proud of your ancestors, I vote to take back our original name once and for all?
July 21, 2013 Western Chiefs/Plains Indian Chiefs/ Eastern Native American Chiefs Welcome to the City of Methuen Massachusetts
To my Sachem Uncas and chief Homer St. Francis posting
One of my dear friends and a mentor was never a Sachem, no disrespect to a great man. As you can see from that posting, I must treat the taking of information to use as your own as dishonest. I must also point out that they are blatant mistakes or down right lies. As I tried to explain to the writer and students at this school. Daniel Hand High School. A chief throughout the eastern coast of Indian country has a completely different meaning then our brothers out west of the Mississippi River. Our people called their leader by a different name. Down through the years the spelling of the name, as with everything else since first contact, has changed a little. My tribal people called him/her Sachem (Sa-Chum). As for the word chief, it started with elder warriors, he or they, became known as our War Chiefs after first contact. This person or persons, was the protector of the village whenever it was necessary for the young warriors to leave for a time. This was a loving way to show respect to older warriors that the Clan Mothers wished to protect from themselves (too old to battle or hunt effectively). My dear friend chief Homer St. Francis became one of these chiefs through a ceremony from our Sachem while on one of his many visits. You also made a visit to a few of our past chiefs. The Story of Harold Tantaquidgeon By Virginia Frances Voight:
July 14, 2013 Archaeologist Dr. Lucianne Lavin's Follow Up On May 2, 2013, I wrote a posting about Connecticut Native Americans:
Today July 6, 2013, I received another article By Randall Beach: What we don't know about the first residents of our state could fill a book Published: Saturday, July 06, 2013
As stated earlier, she is selling books, she is not native and before deciding to write a book she stated that she knew nothing about my people, however, I still say that she did write a good article and I would guess, a good book. In this posting, I have the opportunity to bring out the women in our past ancestry because she did. My people and other Eastern Native people were of a Matriarch society, not true today, women had very important positions in a tribe, indeed, a few were Sachem Chiefs. Dr. Lucianne Lavin stated that: "They, (most non natives) also were unaware that Native American women could initiate a divorce." (More on that later.) So I jumped to the, "more on that later." "Native American women were also way, way ahead of our women’s liberation movement." “Unlike the white women who settled here, Indian women owned property and had control of the children.” “And they could divorce,” she added. “They owned the wigwam and almost everythi it. So you just put your husband’s hunting equipment outside the wigwam and you’re divorced!” I hope that she covered this in a lot more detail in her book because although divorce as with marriage was easier back then, it was a little harder than just removing his or her property from the round house. Our ancestors had ceremonies for everything including what she called divorce, because the people did nothing without the permission through Sachem from Creator, so, it would take a ceremony with the tribe on hand. Lavin listed the five key words she uses in her book to describe Native Americans: longevity, continuity, complexity, sophistication and adaptability. I list one, Spirituality, because this would include her five things. I believe that, taking everything that I have included in both of my postings, I still would like a chance to read her book.
July 7, 2013 Follow Up On Native American Church
If you check back, you will see that I had two questions from the same state, from two different blogs. One I liked and wrote about, one that I did not like because as usual, the site corralled all Native Americans into one category like they would their cattle and decided that their answer was the only correct one? This second question that should have been answered first however, because of the subject matter, I needed a little cooling off period. This needs to be talked about each time it come up in the media, websites or blogs, because if not the non knowing public, like this writer, will take this mistake as a fact. There are still well over three thousand tribes throughout Indian country and most have their own idea about a church. Mine is no different. To me the first thing we need to get out of the way is, we have never used weed, (drugs) or chemicals, in any of our ceremonies and still do not. This is one of the main reasons why we do not do religion. No true traditional Sachem in the East would ever allow this to go on. Another reason why we tried to hold our monthly meeting in a different area, besides making it a little easier for our elders. This makes sure that each meeting stays as close as possible to our ancestors wishes. We have always and will always get our high in prayer (talks) with the Creator of all creation and the love of all creation.
We also do not only use a building to speak with Creator, Yes, for many years we held some of our meetings in a church. https://sachem-uncas.com/storeyclan.html However, we believe that at any time any place one stops to pray, that is our church. The Alaska Native's have Totem Poles, the Western Natives have Peyote. the Lakota have Sundance, the Apache have the Ghost dance and we have the Paw-paus. I am sure that I left out a few tribes, but you get the drift? This is why information about our people should never be written by a non native of a wannabe Native. If you want information about a tribe, please ask a member of that tribe. You want to read something about any tribe? Read something written by a member of that tribe. If you wish information about anything in your state, would you read something written about your state from a Native of another country?
June 30, 2013 How To Gift A Chief?
Looking for information about when you visit an Indian Chief, if it is tradition to give tobacco? Here are some of my postings about this subject:
While traveling around and attending Sundance, Ghost, and other Sacred Dances out west of the Mississippi River, I've noticed that there are times when you may need permission just to get near their chief's and this is OK, I just have little knowledge as to when or where because I never had the problem. Might I suggest that you should play it safe and speak to an elder of that tribe as to the correct procedure? Gifting a Chief could be a little tricky at times around Indian Country, so I must once again speak about tribes in and around New England, or at least for my people. I do require my chiefs and head clan mothers to pass training on our culture and ceremonies so they use a lot of tobacco. People like myself use a lot of tobacco (Kinnick, Kinnick). However, unless I am tied up with a ceremony or in prayer, please come speak with me, my chiefs and Head Clan Mother at any time, Kinnick, Kinnick is optional.:-)
June 23, 2013 Native American Allergies/Chemicals Welcome to the City of Westerville Ohio: http://www.westerville.org/ I have posted about this many times, however it keeps coming back as a question, so I'll keep answering. Native American Allergies should also include chemicals. I knew all of my life that I was allergic to penicillin because as a nosy boy, I was always in the doctor's office getting stitched for something. Lately I found out that I am also allergic to Coumadin. After these recent operations, I have been going through, we can also put the gas used to put you under for an operation on the list, plus whatever chemical used to bring you back, if they are in a hurry to get your bed. I am OK with the gas part to go under, as long as the doctors and nurses know that it takes a Native a lot longer to come back after using it. However, if they insist on rushing things, remember who has to clean up the mess after that chemical. The bottom line is, remember to talk to your doctor about the missing enzyme. A Native American is a Native American, no matter what part of Indian country you are from. (type A) AHO. The doctors now know about our missing enzyme, at least many do, so speak up. UF delivers promise of personalized medicine to heart patients:
Allergies In Indian Country:
June 16, 2013 Native Americans Must Repent For Ancestor's Pagan Beliefs So says, Cindy Jacobs, Television Prophet.
"Repent, or risk an ominous-sounding spirit." What? Throughout the bible, I do not care which bible you read, your God has selected many servants, or God's people, to use as a teaching tool. Job is just another un-willing tool that God is using. Because Job, although a loving servant of God, is weak, his God is teaching him just who is the protector. At no time are Jobs ancestors, good or bad, brought into this conversation between God and Job? So, what is this self proclaimed prophet of her God talking about? The best way to teach, is to use material around at the time of teaching, that your pupil will recognize. This is what God is doing. This said, it must also be said that Job 41 is not saying that our ancestors were worshiping Animal animates, although we do believe animals, trees, plants and so on are alive, this is only a conversation between God and some of the creations. JOB-41:
Just as Christianity can be said to be the experience of being part of the living body of Christ, animism can be said to be the experience of being part of the living biosphere, or even the whole "animate" universe. In this sense, something that is "animate" is simply something that is "alive," and to be an animist, is to believe things to be alive that others perceive as "inanimate."
I have read about this man in Germany's past that spoke with false tongue and had a similar hand salute. There is an Ominous Evil Spirit in the world, only the wrong finger is pointing in the wrong direction, the finger needs to make a 180° turn.
June 9, 2013 Mohegan’s Oldest Sweat Lodge Welcome to the visitor from the city of to my posting on: While looking for information about Mohegan oldest sweat lodge. According to my elders while growing up in Uncasvillage, our first Sweat lodge is the oldest one built around the New England area, because sweats were not used in the area until after my grandfather's first trip out to a visit with the Plains Indians. Please go here to learn more about our Uncasvillage:
One would think that every Pequot and/or Mohegan person around this area would know and be using it?
&nbp; June 2, 2013 Native American Occult (again) Welcome to the visitor from the City of Brisbane Queensland Australia To some of my multiple websites and posting on this extremely important issue. Native American Occult. I have been writing about this for many years and am willing to keep on writing for as long as it remains a question. I know that if you were to leave your great city and head into bush country (Australia), you could still see your natives practicing their occult. Nothing wrong with that as far as I am concerned. However, I can tell you what I have been saying for over 25 years now. I know why you are so confused. The words Native American in this country has significantly changed since my elders crossed (became ancestors). Wannabe natives from our area want so bad to become natives that they study, steal, and cut and paste information from around Indian country that makes their case to be Indian look credible ? Because they do not know our culture, their writings give them away. Central and West Coast Indians come to our Native American area and push these wannabe's into believing that their ways are the only ways. West Coast and Plains Indians do have an occult following. Not knowing the fact that our people were in our land long before many of their people were in their land, they push their occult. The wannabe's buy into this faulty thinking. So whose way is the correct way? The answer is, why not BOTH? You go your way, I'll go mine? Up until the early 1980's, there was no such thing as an occult in my parts of Indian country. What changed? Our people started pushing hard to get our land back or reasonable pay for the land stolen by these invaders. So, the government, not wanting to do either, bought wannabe's that signed away our land? Because the non native invaders of first contact and their lack of understanding about our culture and ceremonies (not in line with their religion, we call that an occult) our culture and ceremonies, to them were deemed an Occult. The biggest difference and there are many, are the prayers. We spend all of our time in the culture, ceremonies and life itself, speaking to the Creator of all creation, the occult in this country spend their life time worshiping a creation of Creator?
May 26, 2013 Effective Protest First, If you wish to succeed with getting your point across with any protest, hit them where it hurts, In the pocketbook. Second, we must learn how to go about becoming united in one cause at a time. Third, remember cause number one and two. Someday you may need their help in your protest? Every company in Indian Country that delivers to these People Killers must be protested against throughout Indian Country. Find out who is selling to Whiteclay and never, ever, buy their products, no matter where in Indian Country you live. Budweiser and Coors are just two of them. This is not asking too much because there are only a few buildings in Whiteclay.
Pine Ridge, like the Keystone Pipeline, is a problem for all of Indian Country. We as a people have allowed this situation to go on for far too long. No, we cannot shut down Whiteclay, Nebraska however, we can refuse to buy anything from companies that cater to those PEOPLE in Whiteclay. A recent comment on my WordPress Blog: "If I lived there, I would be in jail because I have witnessed first hand the destruction of lives that these places have caused so many from Pine Ridge and would never stop until they were all gone. It is already hard enough to try to defeat an alcohol addiction, without having it staring you in the face every day of your life. These evil people care nothing for the harm that they do, only for how much money they will make off of those who live on the Reservation. Maybe AIM should come back and help solve this problem?" A great comment from someone who has been there done that, thank you. If AIM or anyone, would speak for unity in Pine Ridge, maybe we can get millions to protest by not buying the beer until Whiteclay becomes just another Ghost town?
May 19, 2013 Connecticut Native Americans Yes, I know that they are just trying to sell a book. However, this time there are a good number of eye opening statements for the rest of Indian Country and the rest of Mother Earth. Yes, I did do a lot of cutting and pasting on this posting, why not? If we can remember to set aside the fact that not one person on the cover of her book is an Eastern Woodland American Native from the New England area and that nothing was mentioned, as to if she has any of the blood, I do like some of the things that she was able to dig up about our past?
That said, I am so pleased to see that it was written by a teacher of both Archaeology and Anthropology, so many times it is just one or the other? For most modern Connecticut residents, the history of the state began in 1614 with the Dutch, or the 1630's with the English, this ignores the more than 10 thousand years of Native American occupation before Block’s cruise up the Quinnetukut or Connecticut River. “When people think of Indians, they tend to think of Western Indians,” she, Dr. Lavin, said “They have been so much less acculturated in the West—a lot of those Indians never even saw a white man before 1900 and didn’t speak English.” In the East, 400 years of genocide, prejudice, cultural indoctrination, intermarriage and dispersal of homelands, most Easterners do not recognize the Indians in their midst. “Misconceptions about ‘historical’ Native Americans abound. Specifically, they include the erroneous notions that all indigenous people moved west to get away from the Europeans or died out from the effects of warfare and disease.” "She finds the strictures imposed by the U.S. government on Indian tribes trying to receive federal recognition of their historic status to be ludicrous. Proving genealogical descent can be difficult when dealing with societies that did not keep written records. In addition, there was much movement among the tribes, especially after they began to be dispersed by warfare with the whites. "
May 13, 2013 O.K., This Got My Attention
The first thing is, that it looks to me that Dora Van does not have the blood? If she and her people do, they have a case, I do not care what the other tribes, the state or the federal government say. No one, not the other tribes or the government can write a paper and state, "because of this paper I just wrote, you no longer exist." The members of Van's group were among whose relationship with the United States ended in 1954 under the Ute Partition Act, according to Patterson. "As a result, they are no longer recognized as Indians by the federal government," he said.
What? Just because you call someone a half-breed, does not make them disappear. Members of tribes all across Indian country are selling their brothers and sisters, the land and culture to the government for a casino reservation, this cannot and will not mean that the rest of the tribe has gone someplace off this planet?
May 5, 2013 Columbus Did Not "Discover" This Country If, you talk to most Native Americans, you will find out that we do not want this Holiday on our Calendars. Christopher Columbus in 1494, two years after coming to that island, told Pope Alexander VI and the Vatican through his paintings, that he lied, he did not discover this land, the Island of Bermuda, because it was already occupied. He did however, do everything in his power to remove the people from that island, most of the time through slavery and/or violence. This story is for those of you who still believe that this country should have a Christopher Columbus Day:
The painting was commissioned by Pope Alexander VI, Rodrigo Borgia, a Spaniard who fathered several children and became a symbol of church corruption. According to this article this was a common practice in those days. This recently restored painting in the Vatican, created in 1494 by the Renaissance master Pinturicchio, has a small depiction of naked men wearing feathered headdresses. This may be the first European depiction of Native Americans. The scene, just above the tomb of Jesus, is too small to be seen in this view of the entire painting, but is shown in the photo below.
April 28, 2013 Native American Memorial Service Welcome to Potomac Maryland,
Asking your question about this Native American memorial service. This may come as a shock to some people, native or not? The Native Americans, Catholics, Protestants, Jewish people or the non believers, do not have a monopoly on their Supreme Being! Now this I am an expert, one of billions of experts. Your Supreme Being is the only expert. I wrote about this article a very long time ago, however, when asked I will re-comment. I do not know this person, Dr. Carlos Gonzales, an associate professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, I would however, be the first to say that he has as much as, and maybe ever more right, to speak with his Supreme Being as I have. The president of the University of Arizona, President Robert Shelton, asked for a Native American Prayer? This doctor of medicine, a Native American Catholic, made it plain that he was not blessing anything, he was asking Creator or God, for many blessing after a horrible episode, like the one in my state at the school in Connecticut. Although a little on the winded side for a tragedy, he did feel the need to explain, so believed that he was directed by his Supreme Being and to please pray on it? No, the word GOD, a Euro-American word, was not used, because this person knows that God and Creator are one and the same. He also did not specify any blessing, knowing the wisdom of Creator, there was no right or need to tell Creator how to bless. AHO, AMEN.
April 21, 2013 What To Do With Silver Springs Florida? " A dozen years ago, alarm over the decline of Florida's springs drew the attention of political leaders in Tallahassee. Then Gov. Jeb Bush launched an initiative to save the 1,000-plus springs throughout the state. That program was defunded last year by Florida's current governor, Rick Scott. "
I ask you WHY, what is his plan now? We must give Silver Springs back to the original owners. But, you say, all of the original people of Florida, like many of the rest of Indian Country, have been decimated by European Americans and/or their plagues. I say wrong, many of the true traditional peoples of Indian country and Florida are still in Florida. Before you go jumping to any fast conclusions, hear me out please? My assignment for over 50 years now from my Sachem's was to seek our displaced indigenous peoples and counsel with them over a sacred fire of truth and understanding. To my admiration, while in Florida, I find that most of the true traditionalists now living here do not want to join society today as we now know it. Yes, the first people of this area have long since been assimilated. The Ocali Indians, Ocali is a sub province of the Timucuan, a mixture of Timucuan and Yamasee, a tribe from Carolina, that was forced out by the Spaniards. Timucuan Indians settled around Silver Springs in the early 1500s. They were soon invaded by the Spaniards and eventually succeeded by Seminole Indians. After many battles the Ocali Indians were able to retain their claimed territory. In time, the Timucuan were succeeded by other Indian tribes including the Seminole Indians. The Seminole people are a mixture of defeated Indian tribes from the north, forced down into the area and on through into the Everglades, so they are also gone! After a brief period of British occupation, Florida reverted to Spain and land grants were sold to those Spanish citizens to settle in Florida. When the United States acquired Florida in 1821, the population of Marion County consisted largely of Native Americans and African Americans, where did these people go? European Americans did not occur until after an 1823 treaty was passed that restricted Native Americans to the southern portion of Florida. Give Silver Springs back to these the original people, not the casino Indians, the real true traditional people now living in and around Florida, with a government grant and walk away, then watch what happens.
April 14, 2013 Costume Or Regalia, Part Two of Two
4 Reasons A Redskins Name Change Should Not Bother You First, a little more clean up on his article, "Redskin" is another oxymoron. We natives have always, are now and will always, come in many different colors, just like every other group of people. Even Africans in America and still in Africa, come in different colors. Indians in India, come in different colors. The reason for the Washington football franchise mascot, was because the owner made a non traditional native employee dress in feathers for show and tell, thus the name stuck. Costume/Regalia? If you are a follower of my annoying rantings or postings, you may remember that I touched on this subject in my posting of the Religious Roundtable.
True traditionalists do not wear their regalia out in public, we wear our street clothing. Many times, I have been asked to run, M/C or be the Head Veteran at a gathering. The first thing I would ask would be, " Will you invite teachers, school children, boy scouts, girl scouts, brownies, cub scouts and parents? " WHY? Where do you suppose is the best way to teach our culture and ceremonies? I am pleased that this seems to be something picked up on my other gatherings. I also push really hard for meetings, as many before the gatherings as possible. At many of these meetings, there is usually someone saying, " you do not look like an Indian." No, I come in comfortable street clothing and carry regalia to pass around while explaining about our culture and beliefs. At many meetings, there is always a smarty someone that insists that we wear our "costume. " Once, I even had a clown dressed in his " costume, " walking around the room, tripping over chairs and children, a little tipsy, at a Masonic temple, the only place to get a "central meeting," demanding that I change into a costume? I do not ever want to look like him. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are invited, with chaperons, for the length of the gathering and are encouraged to learn our ways, with a chance to show off in the circle on Saturday and Sunday. They get to come to, join in on and eat for free and earn badges, with a catch. They must help with caring for the elderly, the vendors, with only one attendant for things like getting their food and so on and must attend each teaching about our culture with questions and badges at the end of the gathering.
April 7, 2013 Costume Or Regalia, Part One of Two 4 Reasons A Redskins Name Change Should Not Bother You - By Kevin Ewoldt Have you ever been reading a good story and something happens, so that your mind starts to drift away from the story? You want to keep reading the story to its conclusion, but your mind has other ideas. So, what do you do? This article did this to me, it was well planned out, it was saying what I wanted to hear. However, I just could not get past the reason why I started reading it in the first place. This is the reason why writing about Native Americans, should be written by a Native American, or at the very least, only after a proof reading by one of us. The name Red Skin, is in fact offensive and the way that the name came about, is even more offensive. However the author, Kevin Ewlodt, shot himself in the foot, before even he started to write, with something even more insulting to me than everything else that he wrote |