Words to Study: freedom, lead, wisdom, bravery, spoiled, ignore, agreement, aprons, wise
The family of the Connecticut Indians was similar to our family of today. Parents treated their children with great love. Sometimes the children grew spoiled because few were ever disciplined. Boys were more likely to enjoy their freedom than girls. They held a superior position to that of the girls because, as adults, men ruled women.
As a result, men were always chosen to lead. The highest position a male could hold was that of sachem. The sachem headed a body of men called sagamores. These men helped the sachem to rule the village. The dressed in caps and colorfully beaded aprons. The position of the sachem was hereditary, descending form father to son. The sachem was responsible to rule his people with wisdom and bravery. The wise sachem, therefore, was careful not to ignore the wishes of his people. He was also bound to welcome strangers and ambassadors who came from other tribes. This practice was a tradition that was to play an important role in the early history of Indians’ relations with whites.
The Indians used wampum, which is a white and purple dishshaped bead fashioned from clam shells. They gave wampum as a gift to be exchanged on ceremonial occasions and at every sort of agreement and invitation. Indians also built public squares and large wigwams to be used for tribal dances. Many of the dances were just for fun; others were to celebrate an important event such as war victory, birth, a good hunt, or a rich crop.
Questions for Discussion:
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1.
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The teacher provides the opportunity to compare the Connecticut Indians and the Tainos from Puerto Rico.
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2.
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What do you think was the relationship between parents and children among the Indian tribes?
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3.
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What type of duties were assigned to the children of the Connecticut Indians? What type of duty was assigned to the children of the Tainos?
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4.
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What did the Connecticut Indians call their chief? What did the Tainos call their chief?
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5.
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Mention some type of ceremonies celebrated by the Indians of Connecticut.
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