Conneticut Warriors

DESCRIPTION  “Pequot” means “destroyers” or “the men of the swamp” in their language. They were a 17 th century tribe, who's language was Algonquian. Connecticut is where they lived, in the central and eastern end.

WHERE THEY LIVE  The Pequot tribe lived mainly in present day Connecticut, near the Wecapaug River. This is near the central part of this state. The reservation they live in today is called Lantern Hill.

FOOD  The Pequot were mostly farmers. The women collected crops, such as corn, squash, beans, fruits, and nuts. The men hunted. Turkeys, deer, small game and fish were on the menu. Mixed together, some foods were cornbread, soup, and stews. They also fished a lot.

CLOTHING  The Pequot women and men wore breechcloth and leather leggings. Every one wore moccasins and earrings. They wore no headdresses, but scalp locks. Scalp locks are single strands of hair on the top of the head.

ART CULTURE  The Pequot were one of the tribes that used wampum as currency, but they mainly used it as art materials. Wampum is white and purple sea shells on a stings, often used as currency. Some of the art the Pequots were known for was beadwork and basketry.

 Pequot children mostly played with each other, went to school and worked around the house. But when they did with items, they had cornhusk dolls, ball games, and toys like bow and arrows that were their size.

 In 1637 a war between the Pequot and Massachusetts Bay and puritan English colonies erupted into warfare. The Mohegan and the Narragansett tribes joined the English colonies. About 1,500 Pequot were killed or hunted down. All other survivors were turned to slaves, and a few escaped to Long Island. Some slaves were sold to allying tribes to the English colonies. Some were sold to Bermuda.

WEAPONS  The Pequot used mostly the weapons of their time; bows, arrows, spears and clubs. The fishermen used similar tools. Pronged spears, bone hooks, and nets.

CONCLUSION  The Pequot was a very interesting tribe. They had many hobbies and jobs that formed what we see of them now. Even though they lost their final battle, the Pequot were honored warriors.

BIBLIOGRAPHY  Laura Redish and Orrin Lewis; Native Languages of the Americas ;  “Pequot People”, Wikipedia 