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Historic Date Marks a Time of Reflection as Mashantucket Pequot Tribe Honors Past with Eyes on the Future

5/29/2012 10:51:22 AM

 

Mashantucket, CT (May 26, 2012) – The History Channel said the Massacre at Mystick, during the Pequot War, was one of the “10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America. “ The National Park Service calls the Battle at Mystick Fort “a defining moment in American history.” In little more than an hour more than 400 Pequot men, women, and children were killed, half of them burned to death. The Mystick Massacre decimated the Pequots. Over the next several months, the English killed or enslaved hundreds of Pequots who fled their homeland to escape English attacks.

Now, some 375 years later, as the anniversary of the Battle at Mystick Fort approaches, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation is among the strongest, most unified tribes in the country.  Today, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal National continues to define itself by the tenacity and perseverance that their ancestors exhibited following the Battle of Mystick Fort as they emerged from near extinction.

“We have a tremendous pride in the strength and perseverance of our ancestors,” said Mashantucket Chairman Rodney Butler. “It is their will that lives on in us today and our revival from near extinction is nothing short of remarkable.”

The Mashantucket Pequots have endured centuries of hardship to persevere and thrive. From near extinction into modern‐day prosperity, the current generation is compelled to ensure the longevity of their people and their culture. The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation offers a wide array of social, financial and support services to the tribal membership.

The Pequot Tribe is building a solid future with countless educational programs. Through the Department of Education, the Mashantucket’s provides lifelong learning experiences for Tribal Members and their families. An array of services will ensure that each individual has access to the specific educational program that will suit their dreams and purposes. Their Career/Life Assessment & Planning (CAP) program provides career planning, internships, volunteer opportunities, coaching, and application and pre‐employment assistance.

The Pequot Academy offers onsite training to Tribal Members and employees in computers, language, guest service, leadership and many other management topics. Vocational Training Skills and Training Programs provide services to Native Americans in preparation for the job market.

Social Services provided by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation include Housing Department and Indian Health Services (Tribal Health Services) and child welfare programs. Child Protective Services (CPS) provides families and children with case management, referrals, coordinating services, educational support and in home services to promote the unity of the family. The Mashantucket Pequot Child Development Center (MPCDC) is dedicated to providing a nurturing, stimulating and safe environment for young children and high quality care in a supportive environment to facilitate the social‐emotional, cognitive and physical development of each tribal child participating in our program.

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation finds it equally as important to be a strong community partner. They believe in the philosophy of neighbors helping neighbors. To date, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and Foxwoods Resort Casino have raised more than $3.9 million to support the mission of United Way of Southeastern Connecticut. Over the last 20 years, the Tribe has donated more than $85 million in cash, services and material goods to hundreds of non‐profit organizations, in addition to over $3 billion in slot machine revenue provided directly to the state of Connecticut through our state’s gaming compact.

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribe’s annual charitable giving campaigns and sponsorships, which are leveraged through all of its business enterprises, provide community assistance in the spirit of strengthening the lives of others in need while embracing opportunities for humanitarian outreach and support. Over the last 20 years, the Tribe’s philanthropic efforts focused on organizations that embrace the promotion of social stability and economic development, rejuvenating our region’s capacity for commerce, culture, arts and entertainment.

The story of the Pequot Tribe is one of perseverance from a deep‐seated pride in their heritage and cultural traditions. Theirs is an ongoing legacy of remarkable strength, allegiance, and generosity of spirit. It is the story of survival of a proud and unified people.

 

ABOUT THE MASHANTUCKET PEQUOT TRIBAL NATION

The Mashantucket Pequots are a native Algonquin people in Southeastern Connecticut known for their “Pequot spirit of survival”. Their unprecedented story can be relived in vivid detail at the Tribe’s world‐renowned Pequot Museum and Research Center. The tenacity of the Mashantucket Pequots brought them through centuries of persecution to economic prominence today. Since opening one of the first Native American gaming halls in the country in 1986, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation (MPTN) has also developed a host of lucrative economic ventures including the Lake of Isles Golf Course and the Spa at Norwich Inn. The MPTN is one of Connecticut’s highest state tax payers and largest employers. The Tribe provides significant financial contributions to state and local nonprofit organizations that support neighboring communities. For a comprehensive look the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, visit www.mptn‐nsn.gov.

 

Follow this link for a rendering of the battle:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/QlVqV285NEhKV01LSk5Vag
 

Photo Caption: This European engraving presents a stylized view of the assault on the fortified Pequot village at Mystick. The image was made in 1638 to illustrate an account written by Captain John Underhill—one of the leaders of the attack on May 26, 1637, in which hundreds of Pequots were killed.

The engraving was most likely made by an artist who did not witness the attack but instead worked from written descriptions. Still, many details appear to be accurate. The palisade that surrounds the village is shown as two semi-circles, slightly offset to allow for two entrances. The entrances are labeled to show that Captain John Mason and a small group of men attacked through one side, while Captain John Underhill led his men through the other. A few Englishmen are shown engaged in combat inside the fort. The majority of the English remain outside the palisade, firing their muskets into the fort, and their Native allies provide an outer perimeter. The wigwams within the fort are in flames.