It’s Native American Heritage Month
Part of Thinkalong’s goal is to encourage people to have conversations that deepen our understanding of the world around us, including Indigenous history. Please take a moment to acknowledge that the land in Hartford on which the Connecticut Public offices stand today was once occupied by — and, at times in history — forcibly taken from the Tunxis, Sicoag, Wangunk, and Poquonock people. If you’d like to identify the tribes that called the land you stand on home, check out this interactive map.
Origin Stories
The Choctaw people tell a sacred story of a mysterious woman gifting them corn. As the tale goes, two hunters came upon the woman standing on an earthen mound. When they offered her food, she disappeared into the sky and corn grew in her place. Watch the full animated story and learn more about the importance of earth mounds and corn to native people.
What’s In A Name?
Across the United States, the influence of indigenous language is clear. Many state’s names – not to mention rivers, mountains, and other geographic spaces – are derived from indigenous words. Connecticut is a Mohegan-Pequot word that means “long tidal river” or “upon the long river”. So is it different when a sports team employs Native American imagery, names, or mascots to root for a sports team? Dive into this Thinkalong module and decide for yourself!
Native Voices
There is a LOT of history to be taught when it comes to Native people, including the ways in which colonialism impacted the Americas’ first nations. Use this interactive guide to trace the history of major events and writings featured in the video Native Voices with this timeline. The American Passages series from PBS features interviews with scholars and readings from major works of American literature.
Find out more at Thinkalong.org, and see what you — and your friends —think about these issue, and others.