The Quinnipiac Indians were part of the Algonquian group of tribes who lived along the banks of Connecticut’s rivers. Quinnipiac is translated as “long water” or “long water country.” The Momauguin band of the Quinnipiacs lived in New Haven as hunters, trappers and farmers but remained connected to the three other bands through culture, language, blood relations, and geographical location. When the English arrived in New Haven in the early 1600’s, the natives welcomed them, supplying them with furs and food during the first winter and taught them to hunt and fish. Attacks by enemy tribes and epidemics weakened the tribe and their population began to decrease. They sold their land to the English, who allowed them to remain and live as they always had in designated areas. The English settlement grew and consumed many of the natural resources that the natives depended on, further weakening the tribe. In 1675, King Philip, the leader of the Wampanoug tribe, led a confederation of Indian tribes against the colonists. During this war, the Quinnipiac natives fought alongside the English and lost nearly two thirds of their population. Although the Quinnipiac supported the colonists, when the war ended, the Indians discovered that their English allies had built a fort around their lands, barring any Indian from entering. The exiled Quinnipiac tribe was forced to join surrounding tribes and, by 1774, only 71 natives remained. In 1850, the last of the Quinnipiac tribe died.
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