The Leesburg Area Democrats
For what I believe to be a
much better reading of
this website
please start with my Index
page,
then go to your Visitors
page
Taw-but-ni ( thank-you
)
from Walkingfox.
05/15/2010
I have been getting a lot of visitors to my web sites
over the years looking for the word Aquine.
Have you all noticed how little is known about this
well used word before first contact and before Casino
Indian?
It is so sad to know that so many Traditional American
native
words and signs are being lost to wannabe's!
A
special welcome to all of my friends that came here from
my old EarthLink web site.
For
many years I loved the EarthLink company however,
for the last three or four years
they
have gone 3rd class and have forced their many
loyal customers to leave them.
I
do not like change however, like the thousands
of other loyal customers
I also had to leave them!
Again
thank-you for coming to my tripod site!
Taw-but-ni
03/18/2010
To my brothers and sisters
throughout Indian country.
Do you have Bright house
cable network?
After you find out what they think about our people you
may want to re-think this company!
A few months ago I wrote a letter to the Bright house
cable network explaining the non native use of the words HA! CHIEF! in their advertisements on T V.
After all I did not expect them to know why those words
would be so offensive to our people.
I did receive a very cold reply saying that they would
take it up with their main office.
If you will notice now they have tripled that advertisement
as if to say that a minority race has no right to tell this large big business how to advertise?
So if you have or are thinking on getting Bright house
cable T V, Think again!
Walkingfox
I find many people coming to my web sites looking for the word
Aquine.
The word Aquine has always been used by my people from
the time they left the New York/Canada Great Lakes area.
I believe that the native people from that area pronounce it as
Aquene, I am not sure of their meaning.
I am placing our answer on my web sites.
Just like the word Aquai this is a Pequot/Mohegan
word used time and time again by my elders, now ancestors.
While growing on my reservation Uncasvillage,
there were never more than 13 families teaching our history
However, we were taught our language correctly!
Aquine is something like an Algonquin word Aquene
our meaning for PEACE or I am a friend I come in peace,
while using this word one would have both arms out about
heart high and hands palm down, this was to show
everyone you have no weapon!
Because we have no word of good-by we use the same word Aquine
while on our way, this time with left hand starting from
the heart palm up straight out heart high.
The Pequot/Mohegan word AQUAI means hello,
while meeting someone in passing a friendly Aquai on your way
by.
I am not a gambling man however,
it would be a sure bet that anyone that you find
with a name Aquine has American native blood!
Before beginning the story of Sachem Uncas, also
known as the Fox,
for his abilities to outsmart all who wished him
dead.
I need to be sure that it is understood that the sources
for
some of this information was handed down by my Grandfather
and other Elders and some was from other sources.
All of these teachings by my Mohegan Elders, took
place at
our monthly meetings, while I was growing up in Uncasvillage.
As computers, telephones or libraries did not exist in
the time of Sachem Uncas, it would be nearly impossible
to say that there is any source about him that is
perfect.
It is very disturbing to me and my family to read
all of the
so called true stories about not only Sachem Uncas,
but the Mohegan people as well, written by those
who are neither Mohegan, nor even Native.
How can one be an expert without living the story?
Walkingfox
What is this name Mohegan and where did it come from?
I need to start out with some boring statistics to lay the
ground work like
” in the beginning”.
Before beginning the story of Sachem Uncas, also known as the Fox,
for his abilities to outsmart all who wished him dead.
I need to be sure that it is understood that the sources for
some of this information was handed down by my Grandfather
and other Elders and some was from other sources.
All of these teachings by my Mohegan Elders, took place at
our monthly meetings, while I was growing up in Uncasvillage.
As computers, telephones or libraries did not exist in
the time of Sachem Uncas, it would be nearly impossible
to say that there is any source about him that is perfect.
It is very disturbing to me and my family to read all of the
so called true stories about not only Sachem Uncas,
but the Mohegan people as well, written by those
who are neither Mohegan, nor even Native.
How can one be an expert without living the story?
Walkingfox
This is what I know:
Uncas, who was the first Sachem of the Mohegan People
was a descendant of Royal Blood.
His mother was Mekunump and his father was Oweneco,
they were both Pequots.
Uncas was born near what is today Norwichtown,
the historical Pequot Village in Connecticut in 1588-1683??
Most people believe that American Natives chased their food source,
mainly the Woolly Mammoth, through the Bering Straits Land Bridge
and that our people then came across and down into what
are now the Great Lakes and the Hudson River Valley.
Our English name became known as the Monheags.
One of these groups of people became land diggers or farmers,
however, most of the tribes in that area were warring tribes
which over time, forced this group of Monheag People East.
After some time and many forced movements, this group of Monheags
ended up along the Quinatucquet River, which later became
known as the Connecticut River in what is now Connecticut.
The many years of battles and losing their farms, taught this tribe
how to fight, so that when the Mashantuckets, Missituks,
Niantic’s, like the Mohawks had so long ago, came to
destroy them and take their farms, the Monheags
were ready for them, waging war first on them,
then the Dutch and then the French.
After this, the Dutch called them the Pequins,
then the French changed their name to Pequods
and the English changed it to Pequot’s.
When the English showed up on the Quinatucquet and Pequot Rivers,
Sachem Wopigwooit was the leader of the tribe.
After his passing, the people then chose Sasscus as leader,
instead of Uncas who should have rightfully been Sachem,
hoping that he would force the English back into the ocean.
Sasscus like the Niantic’s and the Narragansett’s hated
the English and was at war with them constantly.
War chief Uncas, who was Sasscus's son in law, tried to reason
with Sasscus and the people, but they would not listen to him.
So Uncas took all who wished to go with him,
across the Pequot River, to the Cauchegan Village,
gave them back their old name Monheags
and became their Sachem.
TAW-BUT-NI
thank-you to my
visitors.
Walkingfox welcome center
For those that are seeking the village of Turtle hill in Connecticut
I must insist
( because as you now know it is the only sacred alter/burial ground left of our family)
on proof that you are related to my family before I send you a map!
Mogandeka
Sachem
Now a word to the children of
Uncas Elementary School
280 Elizabeth Street Extension
Norwich, Connecticut 06360
860.823.4208
Please go to
http://home.earthlink.net/~sachemuncas/id11.html
Half way down the page is an article done
by young students early in the computer age.
AHO!
Sachem Walkingfox
This
is one of many |
|
gatherings
of the people |
In a true Traditional American
native Powwow, Gathering
or
Pau-paus you will never see their staff’s for sacred reasons.
Grand
entry (our church)
Back
before first contact we the American Natives from the Eastern woodland tribes had what we called a PAW-PAUS (church).
Because
of first contact (threats of assimilation) and the lack of non native understanding our ancestors changed the gathering and
the name to Pow-Wow (meaning the wicked ones) which now allowed non natives a look see!
Why
is it so hard to understand that Eastern woodland American natives wish for the same respect when it involves our Grand entry
and a precious few other dances?
No
traditional elder wishes to be mean, we have explained that most of our people attending this entry do so with many sacred
medicines and or possessions some believe should not be recorded!
Please
come and enjoy a traditional American gathering we, the elders, would love to teach and guide you through-out and will ever
enjoy a dance or two with you. | |
|
To
some native peoples of northeastern North America, a 'powwow' was originally a man with special abilities to cure or offer
advice from the spirit world, a wizard, witch, and magician as explained earlier.
Everyone
is welcome at Powwows!
At
times there is an entry fee to help pay for the drum, electricity, insurance and so on and you will often find a wide variety
of American native crafts, trade goods and food for sale; even demonstrations
and storytelling as well.
It's
a great place for your entire family to spend the day.
Drugs
and alcohol are not permitted; pets must be on a leash at all times, like at all Paw-paus some powwows invite pets into a
circle because Grandfather is Creator of all!
The
spiritual center or heart of a Powwow is THE CIRCLE; a place to be respected and honored, it is a sacred place that is blessed
by Creator through a spiritual leader not by any person. The circle is entered only from the East (where there is an opening)
and dancers travel in the same direction as the sun.
The
singing is a gift and prayer to the Creator; and the drum is the heartbeat of our People. The singers and drummers together
are called THE DRUM.
Ceremonies
start with a "Grand Entry" of the dancers to pay respects to our Creator and to greet one another. Honoring songs, and dances
for veterans and our ancestors and a prayer follows. You will be asked to stand and remove your hat for these ceremonies if
you can.
Please
don't take photos or videos if you're asked not to do so; and please don't touch the clothing or personal belongings of anyone
in American native dress.
Much
of what is worn is sacred, expensive and irreplaceable, but do feel free to ask if you want to take individual pictures, or
if you have a question about a particular item that someone is wearing.
Most
traditional Native People will be pleased to assist you if they're asked first.
You
will see many types of dances at a Powwow. When you hear a 'Round Dance' or sometimes it is called a friendship dance announced,
EVERYONE will be invited to participate, so proceed to the East door of the circle and join in.
A Round (Friendship) dance is easy to learn and fun to do.
| |
Tobacco gift
How and
when to present a gift of tobacco to a Traditional American native?
Any and
every time that one wishes to speak with an elder and/or honor an elder
it should be by American native tobacco (Kicnic-kicnic) gift.
How much
is enough tobacco to present as a gift?
How much
is not as important as how one gives the gift.
First make
sure that the tobacco is Kicnic-kicnic, and then
remind the receiver that this gift came from Mother Earth.
Because
it did come from Mother Earth it would be nice if it
were wrapped
in red, why red?
Red represents
women or Mother Earth.
What is
American Native Kicnic-kicnic?
Kicnic-kicnic
is herbs collected from Mother Earth with prayer
of thanks
to Creator and Mother Earth!
Naming Ceremony Protocol
First and
the most important thing would be to make sure that you are an American native, to find this out ask an elder this elder must
contact the Medicine man.
“From
the time that the request is made until a name is given by Creator and the spirits of the ancestors will take no less than
two moons (two months)”
The traditional
way to make a request to receive your American native name is to give a gift of Kicnic-kicnic, as the request is made, to
the person you are requesting the name from.
This ceremony
as with all Traditional sacred ceremonies should never be performed in public.
You and
your family must also plan a meal or "feast" to celebrate after the Naming Ceremony is completed.
The seeking must be done through fasting, meditation, prayer or dreaming so
that the spirits give the name, please remember that an American native name is a name of the tribe that you are seeking the
name from and is only spoken at prayer to Creator and the ancestors,.
a name like walking with the
wolf or standing bear are names spoken around Europeans, if one speaks their American native name in public that person will
be shunned by the ancestors!
If others are receiving their names,
the covered dishes will be shared.
Present
a gift of tobacco from your left hand to the left hand of the individual you are wishing to receive a name from this means
heart to heart.
This person should be a person you respect and must be someone who is an American native elder from the
nation that you are requesting a name from.
Personally
ask if you may make a request of this person, either in person, by phone or e-mail.
Receive
this individual's consent to allow you to make a request.
Honor a
male and a female with tobacco and request that they stand with you as sponsors at the ceremony. These should be individuals
who have made a significant impact in your life and are familiar with that American native nation.
At a gathering the Elder person burns tobacco as an offering and pronounces
the new name to each of the 4 Directions, everyone present repeats the name when it is called out.
The Spirit World then accepts and can recognize the face of the child as a
living person.
Creator the Spirit World and
ancestors then guard the child and prepare a place for him or her when their life ends.
At the naming ceremony the parents ask for Elders, four men and four women
to be sponsors for the child.
The sponsors publicly vow to support and guide the child.
Naming ceremony
is held in a prayer circle with a fire, both of which must be properly prepared. (Honor the prayer circle with appropriate
attire and attitudes. Regalia should be worn if available.)
Give thanks
to the Creator and all the sponsors.
One should NEVER have to pay for any
American native gift;
if you do that gift will be
void by Creator!
Grand Sachem Chief Walkingfox
A little side note to a visitor from Sachem Walkingfox
The question “what are sponsors in naming ceremonies for native Americans” from the City of Sarnia
in Ontario Canada, the sponsors are the elders at the four corners of your Sacred naming ceremony circle that stand in for
the person or persons asking Creator for the prayer name.
Please remember if you still have questions ask them.
Tribal 13 moon ceremony.
13 Moon Ceremony to become a Clan Grandmother is a sacred ceremony
for Eastern woodland American native tribes to strengthen
and insure their royal families.
Eastern Woodland American Native Clan is defined as a group of people
usually related by family ties, and under the leadership of a matriarch
the Clan is based on a matrilineal system.
They have Clan Grandmothers and Grandfathers, (13 mood ceremony)
as well as Clan Mothers and Clan Fathers.
The Clan Grandmother is the keeper of the sacred medicine bundle
from which the Clan derives its right of existence in most
traditional Native American Clans, and who, in conjunction
with the Clan Mothers, generally has the authority to
set policy for
the Clan as a whole.
The Clan Grandfather carries the Clan name and who, in conjunction
with the Clan Fathers, is generally responsible for ensuring
that the policies established by the Clan Grandmother are implemented
at the well of the Sachem.
A person can also be adopted into a clan (The 13 moon ceremony).
Clan adoption is an almost universally accepted means of admitting
Outsiders and helps in the preservation of the tribe.
The word clan comes from the time of the Vikings trade visit
and family mixings long before Christopher Columbus came to our shores,
the Europeans also have clans.
A 13 should not be confused with women’s moon ceremony
and it shows that a person cannot hand out names to non American natives
in a day for a price as is being done extremely often
nowadays
in native country, by phony medicine man!
AHO!
The people of the Turtle.
We the Traditional
Eastern Woodland Pequot/Mohegan American native people use a 13 moon or month calendar not the English 12 month because, we
were taught that Creator charged Grandfather turtle with the responsibility of caring for we his people.
The Pequot/Mohegan
people (tribe) believe Creator sent Grandfather turtle to be our protector so he set the people onto his back. Because we
were safely set on turtles back and turtle has 13 sections on its back we use the number 13 for many of our ceremonies.
Like the
calendar and the Clan Mother ceremonies.
There are
13 sections on the turtles back.
so
There are
13 moons in the Mohegan year.
Turtles
are also the keepers of time.
1st Moon Maple sugar moon (spring)---Geese return, ice
melts, maple
sugar runs.
2nd Moon
frogs wake up---rain showers call the
frogs who
signal the plants to grow.
3rd Moon Corn planting moon---corn is planted when the
moon is
full. It is planted along with beans and
squash.
(the three sisters)
4th Moon Strawberry moon---shadbush and dogwood
blossoms.
This moon begins the fishing
season.
5th Moon Thunder moon---warm, time for gathering the
first blackberries
and corn.
6th Moon of the hot sun---hottest time of the year.
7th Moon
Harvest moon---time of the great feasting.
pumpkins
are gathered along with
the final
corn, beans, and squash.
8th Moon of the falling leaves---leaves turn to bright
colors and
begin to fall as the nights become
cooler.
9th Moon Hunting moon---hunting begins.
10th Moon Beaver moon---the approach of winter, time to trap
beaver and
smoke meat.
11th Moon Cold moon---rivers begin to freeze and the first
snow arrives,
storytelling ceremony time.
12th Moon Wolf moon---long month, very cold nights, wolves
begin to
grow very hungry, Mohegan tell stories
in the meeting
house (longhouses).
13th Moon Snow
What is an American native Powwow (Paw-paus)?
If you wish after you finish enjoying this page
please feel free to come and enjoy our pages
about traditional American native
events like our powwows.
http://home.earthlink.net/~sachemuncas/powwows/
PLEASE
REMEMBER THE PAST WARS and |
|
TREAT
OUR NEW RETURNING WARRIORS WITH THE RESPECT THEY DESERVE! |
Walkingfox
is a |
|
Vietnam
Veteran |
| |
|
|
|
Cauchegan Rock
Cochegan rock named by European settlers/Cauchegan Rock
the true Mohegan name has been over looked for many years now and I liked it that way. Cauchegan rock (named after a
Mohegan relation family of mine that first lived in the village) is the largest rock in Mohegan land.
The unique setting of the rock was the main reason that
it was used so often as a meeting place by Uncas and his followers.
In the spring and for most of the summer, the tribe used
it and the land around it, for one of their many villages. Often times, the trees would be used where they stood, to form
long and roundhouses. The village was surrounded by fresh water for drinking, gardening, washing, etc., while, the nearby
Pequot River provided an abundant supply of fish and clams. The Fox River has now been diverted and used elsewhere by housing
development!
My Grandfather told me that the tribe would often put tables
and chairs on top of Cauchegan rock when they held their meetings. This would also allow them to see anyone coming towards
them from great distances, friend or foe. In the colder weather, the tribe would use the rocks and trees in the area
to shelter them from the winds. The warmer weather it was a good place for gardening.
The first Pau-was of the new season would begin at the
rock with fellowshipping, before going on to the Great River, the Quinatucquet River, to Pau-was with other tribes.
I have always wondered if it would not be more beneficial
for one non-profit organization to share this land with other non-profit organizations and all true native elders.
This very sacred land is now being used to help young men learn
about and enjoy Mother Earth.
However, every time someone talks to me about their
trip to this Sacred Mohegan Land,
the first thing that they mention is the littering. Why
not share the land with our elders, as well as with the Cub Scouts, Brownies and Girl Scouts? In this way, more people would
be available to help clean it up, and be taught how to show respect for Mother Earth, while keeping it out of the hands
of those who would shame Uncas and all of the Ancestors, by turning it into just another tourist attraction.
Attention/Now for an update,
The Sachem Uncas sacred prayer rock village has been turned
over to the casino Indians so now we shall see just how long the Ancestors of New England Woodland American Natives beloved
Cauchegan Rock village can remain a sacred Mohegan prayer place?
Aquine,
Sachem Walkingfox
|
Now a word to the children of
Uncas Elementary School
280 Elizabeth Street Extension
Norwich, Connecticut 06360
860.823.4208
Please go to
http://home.earthlink.net/~sachemuncas/id11.html
Half way down the page is an article done
by young students early in the computer age.
Aquai my friends
Before I start teaching about my people from New England
I wish to make clear that although I cannot and will not do homework
assignments for students and I am sure that your teachers and parents
are pleased to hear that.
“However, because my Grandfather was the main Grand Sachem Chief
of our people” he would often hold meetings with leaders from all over
New England so, I will always answer questions about what
I have learned while growing up
hanging around our elders from each tribe
of our American native people and
one can use this knowledge
to help with your works.
I have just learned that the search company” Ask.com,
IAC Search & Media Europe Limited”
that has been coming to many of my American native web sites
from Asian & Europe & of course the rest of the world
is also used in their school systems
so I have set up a small notepad
at the bottom of my pages
so that you can leave me your notes.
Aquine Sachem Walkingfox
Who are the Mohegan and Pequot American Native People? |
I need to start out with some boring statistics
to lay the ground work like
” in the beginning”.
Most people believe that American natives chased their food souse
mainly
the woolly Mammoth through the Bering straits land bridge and our people
came across and down into what are now the Great
lakes in the Hudson River valley.
Our English name became known as the Monheags.
One of these groups of people
became land diggers/farmers; most of the tribes in that area were warring tribes
and through time forced this group of Monheag people east.
After some time and many forced movements this group of Monheags
ended up along the Quinatucquet River.
Because of years of battles while losing their farms this tribe learned how to fight
so when the Mashantuckets, Missituks, Niantic’s,
like the Mohawks long ago came to
completely destroy and take the farms they, the Monheags did this destruction to them,
the Dutch and them the French so the Dutch named them the Pequins the French
changed the name to Pequods and the English changed
it to Pequot’s.
Are you still with me?
We are almost finished with the boring stuff!
Please remember that all of this was handed down to me from time by my elders
while being taught at our monthly meetings while growing up in Uncas village.
When the English showed up on the Quinatucquet River Sachem Wopigwooit was
the leader of the tribe, Because of his passing the people chose Sasscus as leader
hoping that he would force the English back into the ocean.
Sasscus like the Niantic’s and the Narragansett’s hated the English and was
at war with them constantly.
War chief Uncas Sasscus son in law tried to reason with Sasscus and the people
which fell on deaf ears so he took all that wished to go with him over to the Caucheganvillage
across the Pequot ( Quinatucquet) river and named them by their old name Monheags
and became Sachem. When it became clear that Sachem Sasscus would not rest until
the English, Niantic’s, Narragansett’s and all of the surrounding tribes were
removed from
that land they all came together and completely eliminated the Pequot tribe!
The English changed this river to the Thames River and Sachem Uncas’s people became
known as the Mohegan’s.
|
Cauchegan Rock
Cochegan rock named by European settlers/Cauchegan Rock
the true Mohegan name has been over looked for many years now and I liked it that way. Cauchegan rock (named after a
Mohegan relation family of mine that first lived in the village) is the largest rock in Mohegan land.
The unique setting of the rock was the main reason that
it was used so often as a meeting place by Uncas and his followers.
In the spring and for most of the summer, the tribe used
it and the land around it, for one of their many villages. Often times, the trees would be used where they stood, to form
long and roundhouses. The village was surrounded by fresh water for drinking, gardening, washing, etc., while, the nearby
Pequot River provided an abundant supply of fish and clams. The Fox River has now been diverted and used elsewhere by housing
development!
My Grandfather told me that the tribe would often put tables
and chairs on top of Cauchegan rock when they held their meetings. This would also allow them to see anyone coming towards
them from great distances, friend or foe. In the colder weather, the tribe would use the rocks and trees in the area
to shelter them from the winds. The warmer weather it was a good place for gardening.
The first Pau-was of the new season would begin at the
rock with fellowshipping, before going on to the Great River, the Quinatucquet River, to Pau-was with other tribes.
I have always wondered if it would not be more beneficial
for one non-profit organization to share this land with other non-profit organizations and all true native elders.
This very sacred land is now being used to help young men learn
about and enjoy Mother Earth.
However, every time someone talks to me about their
trip to this Sacred Mohegan Land,
the first thing that they mention is the littering. Why
not share the land with our elders, as well as with the Cub Scouts, Brownies and Girl Scouts? In this way, more people would
be available to help clean it up, and be taught how to show respect for Mother Earth, while keeping it out of the hands
of those who would shame Uncas and all of the Ancestors, by turning it into just another tourist attraction.
Attention/Now
for an update,
The Sachem Uncas sacred prayer rock village has been turned
over to the casino Indians so now we shall see just how long the Ancestors of New England Woodland American Natives beloved
Cauchegan Rock village can remain a sacred Mohegan prayer place?
Aquine,
Sachem Walkingfox
My Ancestors prayer rock
with prayer Alter
In Montville,Ct,
|