Kaitlyn Smith Social Studies Methods: Fall 2012 Museum Fieldwork Assignment Mashantucket Pequot Museum Brief History

and Context The Mashantucket Pequot Museum was built to commemorate the detailed history of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and was first opened on August 11, 1998 with the mission statement, [the museum] seeks to further knowledge and understanding of the richness and diversity of the indigenous cultures and societies of the United States and Canada. The establishment of the museum served as a triumphant moment for the tribe, after longtime struggles to establish legitimacy in the area for the better half of the 20th century. The Pequots, or Fox People have been residing in southeastern Connecticut for thousands, or even millions of years, particularly in the 250-square mile area between the Thames and Pawcatuck Rivers. After European contact in the 17th century, the Pequots were met with devastating disease and ongoing wars followed by a large reduction of their native lands; by 1856, only 214 of their original acreage remained. The 20th century remained bleak; the tribes social relations deteriorated due to limited housing on the reservation and unforeseen hardships including prostitution and drug addiction. After the Pequots reconstitution of their land in 1983 via the Manshantucket Pequot Land Claims Settlement eventually led the ideas for Foxwoods Casino and Resort and the museum came to fruition. The museum represents the largest resource for information about the Mashantucket Pequot tribe, but also serves as a resource for the tribe as well; the museum, along with Foxwoods Casino and Resort, provides a vast amount of income for the tribe.

All exhibits at the museum are permanent, with exception to the traveling exhibit, which is currently Neetopawees: Dolls as Ambassadors of Native Culture. The range of exhibits is enticing from a true-to-life 17th century Pequot village to diorama sculptures to native artwork. Visitors may view all exhibits at their leisure, but most take the chronological route, starting in the Life in a Cold Climate and finishing in the exhibitions that depict modern Pequot life.

Resources Avaliable at the Site The Mashantucket Pequot Museum offers extensive amounts of resources and programming for visitors and members. Libraries and Archives o Archives and Special Collections: includes original source materials that reference early relations between colonists and Native Americans. Allows visitors to decipher the past through primary sources o The Childrens Library: Provides childrens materials regarding the history of Native Americans. Teachers are encouraged to use the materials within the classroom. o The Research Library: books and media pertaining to both current and historical material on Native Americans Professional Development Workshops o Encourages curriculum development using Native American culture and history o The museum will develop workshops for both elementary and secondary teachers on just about any topic Past workshops: Unlearning Stereotypes: A Look at Diversity and Multicultural Education, Federal Recognition and Tribal Sovereignty, and The Role of Native Women: Today and Yesterday Teacher Previews o Teachers are encouraged to visit the site before they bring their classrooms o Meet one-on-one with a museum educator who will provide you with information on the various tours and workshops Guided Tours o Exhibit Highlights (for Grades 5-Adult): Students and adults have the opportunity to explore all the museum has to offer from the Ice Age exhibit to present day exhibits. This tour is aimed to point out the important connection of the land, the people, community and family

o Through the Eyes of Pequot Child (for Grades K-Adult): This is the museums most popular tour and explores the sights, sounds, and smells in the 16th century Pequot Village. It is geared towards educating learners about the importance of familial relations and communities to Native Americans. o Gifts of the Lands & Waters (for Grades K-Adult): Explores the relation of Native Americans and nature, with importance placed on how Native people were able to turn natural objects, such as stone and wood, into useful objects. o Life on the Reservation (for Grades 4-Adult): Focuses on the difficulties Pequot tribesmen and women faced while living on the reservation. Social Studies Programs o Witness to Genocide: A Social Justice Approach (for Grades 9-Adult): Students will learn about the 1637 massacre of a Pequot village, as well as many other events that led to the tribes oppression. The film, The Witness, is viewed as part of the two-hour program. o Life Without a Supermarket: A 16th-Century Native Coastal Community (for Grades 3-6): This program is Frans favorite, and it is easy to see why! Students explore how Native Americans were able to survive without modern conveniences such as supermarkets; they learn how Native people constructed dug-out canoes, built housing, enhanced personal appearance, and prepared food o History Dectectives (for Grades 4-7): After watching a film, students have the opportunity to work with primary sources, such as maps and original artifacts. The goal for this program is [to have] students gain a better understanding of the lives and experiences of Native American families and how they have struggled to maintain their cultural identity in 20th century Connecticut Science Programs o The museum offers three science-based programs: Coastal Connections: Fishing Without Poles, Archaeologys Window to the Past: Interpreting Refuse Pits, Can You Dig It?, and Inside the Fort: The Archaeology of a 17th-Century Pequot Site Outreach Programs o Museum Educator Programs: A museum educator will travel to a classroom with hands-on objects to show students how the Pequot tribe has advanced over time the presentations are 45 minutes o Expert Speaker Programs: Staffed experts will give 45-minute presentations on a variety of subjects including Battlefields of the Pequot War, Underwater Archaeology, Tribal Histories in New England, New England Indians in the New Millennium, Museums as Stewards of the Past, and Urban Indians o Diversity Workshop for Educators: Teachers will explore the impact of culture on the classroom by investigating real case studies that focus on issues of ethnicity, gender, race, learning style, sexual orientation, and physical difference.

o Diversity and Cultural Competency Workshops: Made for groups of employees who seek skills for the global workforce. Topics include Managing a Multicultural Team and Cross-Generational Management o Virtual Programs Using Skype Software: Created for classrooms or workplaces across the country (or world!), these virtual programs allow museum educators to provide outreach programs from computer to computer. Analysis The Mashantucket Pequot Museum offers visitors and members a truly unique and memorable experience. After visiting, one would not even question the rationale as to why you would bring a classroom there, but the main incentive would most likely be the engaging exhibits and activities that further the progression of historical understanding in students. The museum displays multiple perspectives, by not only including the story of New England Native Americans, but also that of the Europeans. Because the site is dedicated to preserving Indian culture, there is an obvious bias. The Europeans, while represented, are represented almost only by the negative effect they had on the Native Americans way of life. This is evident by the large size of the recreated Pequot village versus the small room dedicated to the arrival of the Europeans. The museum also does a phenomenal job of presenting past present connections. When one thinks of historical museums, it is common to assume that they will only portray things from the past. At the Mashantucket Pequot Museum, visitors will not only view exhibitions representing the past, but also modern exhibitions that show what Pequot tribe members are accomplishing today. The chronological floor plan of the museum allows for students to not only re-live the Pequots harrowing past, but also will undoubtedly elicit empathy once students have seen what setbacks Native Americans in the northeast have experienced.

The time and effort put into perfecting the exhibits authenticity is evident, and allows for students to truly see through the eyes of a Pequot child, instead of just experiencing the museums displays with a presentist view. As a child I remember visiting the museum on a school trip, and truly falling in love with the artifacts and true-to-life dioramas and feeling as if I had traveled back in time. Recommendations The Mashantucket Pequot Museum cannot be recommended enough to teachers with students of all ages. The museum is just as engaging for the young as it is for adults. For high school students, I would recommend a multitude of activities. If I had limited time at the museum I would definitely bring students on the Exhibit Highlights tour, as it gives students an overview of the Pequot experience. If I had an extended amount of time, I would begin with the Exhibit Highlights tour and end with the activity, History Detectives. History Detectives offers a unique experience for students in which they are able to work directly with primary sources and artifacts. While focusing on the history and culture of Native Americans, the museum also offers activities pertaining to other subjects. For example, if my class was studying the topic of genocide, I could bring students to the museum to participate in Witness to Genocide: A Social Justice Approach. By comparing the Holocaust or Rwandan genocide to the 1637 Pequot massacre, students can create connections and use evidence to associate the themes of genocide, thus furthering their historical understanding.