Mashantucket Pequot Tribe

Consisting of the Algonquian language community, The Mashantucket Pequot tribe runs and operates the second largest casino resort in the world. This casino, called Foxwoods Resort Casino has had a powerful impact on the economy of the tribe. Lying embedded in the borders of Ledyard in the state of Connecticut, New London County, the Pequot population reached a relative low of thirty in the early twentieth century. A census conducted in 1990 revealed the Mashantucket Pequot population was three hundred and twenty.

History

It is believed that the Pequots migrated towards eastern Connecticut around the 1500s from the Hudson River Valley. In 1677 Rev. William Hubbard , a colonist shed light in his narrative, Troubles with the Indians in New-England, in which he described the sheer tenacity of the natives from New-England against the English. Archaeological evidence suggests the presence of this tribe's ancestors way back before the arrival of the Europeans. At that time the Plymouth and Massachusetts colonies were being established. The tribe had earned a significant position in the economic, political and military dominance among circles of Native Americans. Although the epidemic of smallpox between 1616-1619 roughly killed about ninety percent of the native population, it did not reach the Pequot, Narragansett and Niantic tribes. Although this episode led to the dominance of the Pequot tribe, an epidemic in 1633 led to the decline of eighty percent of the tribe's population.

War

In the Pequot War in 1637, the forces of two colonies which were led by John Mason and John Underhill attacked the Pequot tribe at Mystic. Although the tribe was outnumbered, they put up a stiff resistance against the two colonies, but were eventually massacred in a battle that saw guts and gore. Those who survived the bloody battle were forced to become servants of the Puritan English, while others were sent to the Mohegan and Narragansett tribes who had joined forces with the English colonies to overcome the Pequots. Although some from the Pequot tribe managed to escape and return to their traditional livelihood, this war dwindled the tribes population which had once established itself as a powerful force.

Present Day Mashantucket Pequot

This Mashantucket Pequot opened one of the world's largest resort casinos called Foxwoods in 1992. This enterprising venture generated huge amounts of income for the ethnic tribe. The revenue generated by the casino has not only been instrumental in providing jobs for many tribal members, but also helped in the development of their community. The Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, adjoining the Foxwoods Casino gives you a detailed educative tour of the history and cultural heritage of this ethnic tribe. This museum receives visitors and historians from all over the world and plays host to a number of festivals which feature indigenous local and international musicians and artists.

The grit and determination of the ancestors of this powerful tribe ensured that this tribe has survived to this day. The relentless courage of the Mashanpucket Pequot Tribe is historic and remains deeply rooted in the hearts of Native Americans.