Mohegan Indians Research Paper

1234 Words3 Pages

The Mohegan Indians are located in the southeastern part of Connecticut near the Thames River Valley in Uncasville, with a current population of approximately 1,000 members. All of the members are of Native American decent and were once associated with the Pequot tribe. "Scientific evidence shows the Native American presence in the area for 10,000 years, but the oral history begins with the beginning, when the Great Spirit created the earth" (http://moheganindians.weebly.com/). The first group of Mohegan’s was part of the Delaware tribe which was called the Wolf Clan, that settled in upstate New York. The Native languages of the Mohegan Indians are English and they also have their own Mohegan dialect, which is called "Algonquin dialect". In this Native language the name Mohegan means "People of the wolf", which fits the tribe perfectly as they were once a heterogeneous group in which the men went to war to protect their tribes and would also go hunting to put food on their families tables while the women stayed home to take care of the children and were horticulturist as they worked in the fields farming each day. Each individual played a major part in keeping the tribe together as a one functional unit.

The Mohegan Indians are also well known for their successful casino called the Mohegan Sun which is located in Uncasville, Connecticut near their tribal home. They still practice their ceremonies and wear animal skin and leather to them. They have their own governmental structure which they call a Tribal Council, that consist of nine tribal members and Council of Elders with seven tribal members.

There were many things that shaped this community to where they are today, especially their separation from the Pequot tribe. The Moh...

... middle of paper ...

...persecuted and driven from land that was passed down through generations. This was pushed by the American belief of manifest destiny that it was their right to push people off their land to make room for the American culture and way of life. The Mohegan however, understood the importance of tradition and strived to preserve their identities and culture. This is not to say that the tribe completely isolated from the rest of the world or local communities, much of the wealth today comes from tourists visiting the reservations and local businesses run by the Mohegan tribe. Today many of their traditions and lifestyle is deeply rooted in their past but has adapted itself to reflect the needs and beliefs of today's society. Their constant perseverance and unwavering protection of their identity has allowed the Mohegan to stand the test of time as the original Americans.

Open Document