Kolipaio, Va'ohtama, Ant chukoa, Hau koda, Keuwawata, Temike,
Komeekha, Tin u, Yah aninááh, 'Á-cim, Tsi-lu-gi
WELCOME TO MY NATIVE AMERICAN
HOME ON THE WEB
So Who Is This ShadowWalker?
Guess this is where I need to expose the true person behind the name. I am of Irish (on my fathers side),
French Canadian, and Pequot decent (on my mothers side). I guess that makes me less than perfect in
the eyes of some Native Americans, not being full blooded but that is a problem they have not me. I am
what I am and I have no control of that. I spent the greater part of my early life unaware of my Native
American background. In my early twenties my mother started telling me that I was part "Indian" which
really didn't mean much to me. Later after having made some friends who were Native American I
asked my mother what tribe we were related to and she told me I was part Pequot.
Now who are the Pequot, good question and difficult to explain. The best source of information I have
found comes from the following web site, Pequot. They
appear to have moved into the southeastern
section of Connecticut from the upper Hudson River valley in New York, probably in the early 16th
century, around 1500. Their language is of the Algonquin language family and is fairly common among
the Native tribes found in New England, New York, and eastern Canada. The Algonquin (Algonkin)
themselves are found in the Quebec province of Canada.
Around or shortly after 1633 due to some internal division the Pequot split into 2 groups, the group who
followed Uncas (a sub-sachem) became the Mohegan and they
established themselves in the area
around what is now Montville/Uncasville, CT on the banks of the Thames River in New London county.
In 1637 the Pequot went to war against the English settlers in the area and eventually were defeated.
The Mohegan sided with the English and after the war those Pequot who were not sold into slavery, killed,
or who had escaped were placed under the control of Uncas and his Mohegans. Some time later even the
English could no longer stand the harsh treatment of the Pequot under the control of Uncas and removed
the remaining Pequot to other lands in the area. In present day there are 2 groups of Pequot, the
Mashantucket Pequot (Western Pequot) who live on the reservation in the Ledyard area and the Paucatuck
(Pawcatuck) Pequot (Eastern Pequot) on the Lantern Hill reservation. The Mashantucket Pequot received
Federal recognition in 1983, and after a successful bingo operation, an incredibly profitable gambling
casino was opened in 1992 which has made the Mashantucket Pequot the wealthiest group of Native
Americans in the United States. After a 350 year truce, the Mashantucket may actually have won the
Pequot War.
Which group my Pequot side comes from I'm not sure and I don't feel it is that important, what matters
is that I am part Pequot and proud of it. It also helps me to understand why I have always had a great
affinity for the "great outdoors" and a love of nature. I am now at an age where that is what is important.
Understanding the why of things, being comfortable with who and what I am, and in balance with the
world I live in. I have spent a good portion of my life "walking in the shadows" and now its time to
come out into the light. You know if you sit in the forest long enough and listen carefully the trees,
the plants, and the animals will talk to you, after all we are all brothers.
