Menu
Fire Keeper
The Fire Keeper has ceremonial oversight for the Tribe’s sacred fires and fire pit located at the Mashantucket Cultural Grounds.
James David “Fire Arrow” Walker was appointed Fire Keeper by the Mashantucket Pequot Elders Council. The Fire Keeper has ceremonial oversight for the Tribe’s sacred fires and fire pit located at the Mashantucket Cultural Grounds. Fires include cultural events, healing fires, passing fires, visiting dignitaries and more.
Pipe Carrier
Through the pipe ceremony, Joshua leads participants in connecting with the Creator, giving thanks and honoring the connectedness of all things.
The Pipe Carrier conducts pipe ceremonies in accordance with Mashantucket Pequot cultural traditions, including but not limited to ceremonies and milestone events such as weddings, funerals, celebrations, anniversaries, and other poignant gatherings. The Pipe Carrier invokes healing through the pipe ceremony, using traditional ceremonial tobacco to draw upon the connection between the earth, sky, and Creator. Joshua Carter (Eye of the Hawk) is the Pipe Carrier for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation.
An accomplished wampum craftsman, Joshua created a beautiful wampum inlay pipe specific for Pequot ceremony. Through the pipe ceremony, Joshua leads participants in connecting with the Creator, giving thanks and honoring the connectedness of all things.
The ceremony begins facing east, the place where the sun rises, followed by south, representing summer, growth and learning. Next is west, representing the setting of the sun, adulthood and the resting place. Last is north, the place of elders, reflection and wisdom. Honor and praise is then given toward the east in closing the ceremony.
Spiritual Leader and Tribal Elder
A musician and composer, Laughing Woman was awarded a Native American Music Award for Best Folk/Country Artist for the original composition, “Reservation”
As Spiritual Leader of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Laughing Woman-Patrick safeguards the Tribe’s spirituality, and is a keeper of many languages. A recent recipient of the Red Wing Arts and Culture Award by the Tomaquag Museum of Rhode Island, Laughing Woman was one of many contributors in developing the Mashantucket Pequot Spiritual Center, where she co-pastored All Nations Christian Fellowship with her late husband, Pastor Russell “Eagle Wings” Patrick. She also served as Vice Chairwoman of the Elders Council until her recent retirement. Today, Laughing Woman serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Mashantucket Spiritual Center, and is an Assistant Minister to Rev. Matthew Thomas.
Laughing Woman has devoted her life to protecting the Tribe. She helped to support the ceremonial care and reburial of Pequot remains discovered at nearby Masons Island, Connecticut, and successfully battled against the Ku Klux Klan over a land dispute in Hampton, Connecticut, with the assistance of American Indian Movement (AIM).
A musician and composer, Laughing Woman was awarded a Native American Music Award for Best Folk/Country Artist for the original composition, “Reservation” in 2003, as part of the collaborative recording Under the Green Corn Moon: Native American Lullabies. She studied art at the University of Hartford, and is a graduate of the Norwich State Hospital Psychiatric Nursing School.
Whistle Carrier
The sacred Whistle Carrier releases good Spirits, which reach the home of our ancestors.
Wayne “Sassachet” Reels is the official Whistle Carrier for the Mashantucket Pequot Warrior Society and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. Constructed from red cedar, wampum, and copperhead snakeskin, the Whistle releases good Spirits which reach the home of our ancestors. It is used during traditional dances, powwows, memorials and social gatherings to lift the spirits of dancers and elders, and for those who cannot dance. The Whistle is also used in times of celebration, memorials and honorings as well as for bereavement and prayers for healing from sickness.
Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Community Traditional Drum Group
Our tribal community’s traditional drum group is called the Yootay Singers (pronounced “you tie”), which means “here” in our Pequot language, and reflects our focus upon meeting our community’s cultural needs. Our drum group includes 6 to 12 traditional singers who sit around a circular drum that measures 25 to 30 inches in diameter.
We sing traditional tribal and inter-tribal songs with or without microphones, needing very little floor space (8×8) to do so. If we are asked to help open an event, we typically sing a Flag Song followed by another traditional song that best reflects the purpose of the event.
Since we have traditional songs for everything in life, that second song to open an event might be an Honoring Song, an Encouragement Song, a Veteran’s Song, or a Victory Song – each of which are meant for the specific purpose described by the name of the song type.
There are many more types of traditional song that we enjoy discussing in depth and singing for audiences. Flag Songs honor the land and the tribes who have cared for it, while a Victory Song would certainly be appropriate to honor high school or college graduates or an award-winning community member. We also have traditional Memorial Songs to honor those who had recently passed.
Our full traditional tribal songs are typically 2-3 minutes long, although some may be longer. Our cultural songs are often included to open public and special events and require approximately 5 minutes of event time.