The Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center
Yesterday afternoon was a refresher course in history, humanity and culture. Four hours with the Pequot Indians, trying to get an insight into life as they knew it and the wars they fought was like going back in time to the creation of America. Intense, informative and fascinating. The Native Americans spoke in many different languages, as distinct from one another as Japanese and English. There are numerous American cities (top of mind I can think of Spokane and Kalispell), which are actually names of Native American languages.
Most states have museums, battlefields and many such tourist attractions dedicated to the Natives but few can boast of the size and resources available in this one. There’s a farmstead tour in warmer times, theatres, model villages, dioramas, a simulated glacial crevasse, extensively detailed exhibits and much more.
According to the museum website “The Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center is a new tribally owned-and-operated, state-of-the-art complex located in Mashantucket, Conn. Opened on August 11, 1998, it presents the rich history of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, the histories and cultures of other tribes, and the region’s natural history through a series of innovative presentations.”
By the way, if you are a AAA member, you get $2 off your ticket and do check the hours before going, you will need atleast 3 hours to tour the entire museum, if not more.
