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• NOVEMBER 2022

On the water Preserving estuaries, saving the Sound

Native American Heritage Month First people, events, remembrance

Thanksgiving to go

Holiday dinners made to order

Italian

inspirations in Old Saybrook

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on the Cover Gargano Pasta & Italian Market. PHOTO BY WINTER CAPLANSON

this month

photo by Winter Caplanson

N O V E M B E R

2 0 2 2

46 52 ITALIAN INSPIRATION

CONNECTICUT’S FIRST PEOPLE

State’s tribal nations remain relevant, vibrant Old Saybrook market/cafe features pasta bar, specialties to cook at home

november 2022 7

departments LOOKING BACK 33 Pequot Hill

named “Site of Conscience”

Today, there is no marker to denote the Mystic Massacre. But that may change

TRENDING

CORRESPONDENCE PEOPLE & PLACES 13 A voice for others

New U.S. treasurer reflects on life, Mohegan community

18 The changing face

of the home heating oil industry in Connecticut

Brought to you by Densmore Oil Company and Connecticut Energy Marketers Association

TASTE 21 Turkey takeout

From sides to full spreads, these Thanksgiving Day pros have your holiday dinner covered

28 Restaurant listings 8

magazine

Photo courtesy of the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center

10 Editor’s note

Photo courtesy of Ivy’s Simply Homemade

39 Native American stories available to stream

42 Turning pages

Louise Erdrich’s Native American experiences

44 Local finds

Shop unique. Shop local.

photo Courtesy of the tantaquidgeon museum

EXPLORATIONS 73 Backyard

detectives

Tracking wildlife through footprints in the snow

78 Narratives of the first people

LIFE CYCLES

63 Use it or lose it

A little walking can improve physical, mental health

68 Honoring the veterans

Pequot Museum to host annual powwow for military, families

Indigenous museums preserve, teach and remember

86 Preserving the shoreline

Connecticut joins national research reserve network

IT’S YOUR DAY 95 Leah Lopez Schmalz

New president of Save the Sound

It starts with the sign… Behind our signs, you will find the award winning A Team delivering extraordinary service across every price point. Whether you are buying or selling, the choice is yours, let us be your trusted real estate advisors!

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november 2022 9

correspondence | EDITOR’S NOTE Sunrise on Pequot Avenue, New London. photo by lee palombo

dear readers,

here’s no sign today on Pequot Hill in

areas where fresh and saltwater meet—which have

Groton—no monument, placard, tomb

just been added to a national research reserve net-

or plaque—memorializing what histori-

work; and we chat with Save the Sound’s new pres-

ans acknowledge was this nation’s first

ident about the work she does to preserve our natu-

attempted genocide, right here in south-

ral resources.

eastern Connecticut. The 1637 Mystic Mas-

November, of course, also brings Thanksgiving, a

sacre kicked off what would become a more than 200-

celebration of family and food, and we’ve got the food

year campaign throughout the country to eliminate

part covered in “Turkey takeout,” a roundup of some

America’s first people.

of the area’s markets and restaurants that offer fully

A recent move by CT Humanities to designate Pequot Hill a “Site of Conscience,” part of a global net-

cooked holiday dinners, including roast turkey for a crowd, hors d’oeuvres, sides, gravy and desserts.

work of historic sites, will preserve the memory of

And, speaking of food, we introduce you to Gargano

what happened there and open a dialogue about how

Pasta & Italian Market, a new boutique market and

to honor the hundreds of Pequots, mostly women,

cafe on Main Street in Old Saybrook where you can

children and elders, who were killed.

eat in, or purchase the ingredients, including fresh

For Native American Heritage Month, we explore

pasta made in-store, to prepare at home.

the five state-recognized tribes, their pasts, their

Thanks for reading, and as always if you know of

future plans and the ways they continue to thrive and

an interesting local person, business, organization

share their rich cultures and histories with the com-

or upcoming event in southeastern Connecticut,

munity. We also acquaint you with Marilynn “Lynn”

send the information my way. I’d love to hear your

Malerba, a Mohegan lifetime chief from Uncasville

thoughts about the magazine and what we can do bet-

who was just appointed by President Joe Biden to the

ter, or you can just write in to say hello. I look forward

position of U.S. treasurer. It’ll be Malerba’s signature

to hearing from you

you’ll soon see on newly printed U.S. currency. Along the shoreline, we take you into the estuaries of Long Island Sound—the ecologically vibrant

Traci Neal, EDITOR T.NEAL@THEDAY.COM

Send your questions, comments, suggestions and ideas to thedaymag@theday.com. Or look us up on social media. You may even be featured on in our “Letters” section in a future issue. By getting in touch with us, you give us permission to reprint your comments.

magazine

Congratulations Madam Treasurer

The Mohegan Tribe could not be prouder of our very own Chief Many Hearts, Dr. Lynn Malerba, who recently was sworn in as United States Treasurer. This well-served recognition was also a historic moment for all of Indian Country as she became the first Native American to serve as Treasurer in United States history.

13 Crow Hill Road Uncasville, CT 06382 https://mohegan.nsn.us november 2022 11

people & places ENVIRONMENT

FINANCE

PEOPLE

N E W & N O TA B L E

Salem. Photo by Amanda Lawrence

BUSINESS

mohegan chief Marilynn “Lynn” Malerba becomes new u.s. treasurer

magazine

people & places

A voice for others NEW U.S. TREASURER REFLECTS ON LIFE, MOHEGAN COMMUNITY

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, far right, swears in Marilynn “Lynn” Malerba as U.S. treasurer in September in Washington, D.C., as Malerba’s family looks on. Malerba grew up in Uncasville as a member of the Mohegan Tribe and is a lifetime Mohegan chief.. AP Photo / Manuel Balce Ceneta

By Mary Ellen Fillo

treasurer of the United States. Appointed by President

ohegan Chief Mutáw i Mutá hash (Many

Joe Biden, Malerba will also oversee the newly created

Hearts) Marilynn “Lynn” Malerba has always

Office of Tribal and Native Affairs and coordinate tribal

excelled. In addition to her exemplary aca-

relations across the Treasury Department. Her appoint-

demic performance and career as a direc-

ment also means that for the first time in U.S. history,

tor of cardiology and pulmonary services at

a Native woman’s signature will soon be seen on the

Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, she became the first female chief in the Mohegan Tribe’s modern history—a lifetime appointment—in 2010.

nation’s currency. Malerba, who holds degrees from Eastern Connecticut State University, University of St. Joseph, Yale and the

And if that weren’t enough, Malerba reached another

University of Connecticut, found some time in a very busy

historic milestone in her career when she was recently

schedule to reflect on her new appointment, her life in

sworn in as the f irst Native American to ser ve as

Connecticut and her achievements as a Native American.

november 2022 13

NANCY MESHAM HEIDI HOSS HILARY REID WENDY VISGILIO

Mohegan Chief Marilynn “Lynn” Malerba, left, walks with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe and the first Native American U.S. cabinet secretary. Haaland, who was appointed in 2021, visited Connecticut in March and toured Mohegan tribal sites. photo Courtesy of lynn malerba

To our clients, friends and neighbors, Thank you for the privilege of partnership.

NANCY MESHAM (860) 227-9071 nancymesham.com

860.227.9071 | nancymesham.com | 86 Halls Road | Old Lyme, CT 06371

magazine

people & places

“I always believe that we can achieve our goals in a way that leaves everyone better for it.” MARILYNN “LYNN” MALERBA

TDM: What went through your head when you learned

TDM: What will your responsibilities be in your new role?

you were being considered and how surprised were you

MALERBA: A major responsibility I have is to stand up

at securing the appointment?

the Office of Tribal and Native Affairs within the Treasury

MALERBA: I was ver y sur-

Department. I am excited that

pr i se d when I wa s con-

the Treasury and the Biden-

tacted to discuss whether I

Harris administration has

would consider the position.

committed to this office and

This came at a time when I

has committed to diversity

had been considering dial-

within the agency (starting

ing back on some of my advi-

with myself ). I have respon-

sor y committee work and

sibilities w ith the Bureau

staying a bit closer to home.

of Engraving and Printing,

This is the exact opposite of

the U.S. Mint, Fort Knox and

that scenario. You can imag-

community engagement. I

ine this was a long process

w ill also be ensuring that

w it h mu lt iple i nter v ie ws

the Treasury Tribal Advisory

across the agency and with

Committee will continue to

the White House. It truly is

meet and achieve their goals.

such a great honor to be the

(I am being replaced on that

first Indigenous person to be

committee to avoid any con-

the treasurer of the United

flicts of interest.)

States. I hope to make not only my tribe but all of Indian

TDM: Tell me about your life

Country proud.

in Connecticut and how your time here prepared you for such success. How tough was

TDM: What are your credentials for the office and do you have any immediate goals? M A LERBA: I h a ve s e r ve d

Marilynn “Lynn” Malerba, a lifetime Mohegan chief, was appointed to the position of United States treasurer by President Joe Biden. Photo courtesy of Lynn Malerba

on various federal advisory

the climb? MALERBA: I have always lived in Connecticut and grew up with our tribal government

committees including the Treasury Tribal Advisory

being supported by each tribal member paying dues. We

Committee. Having served as the vice chairwoman and

were unable at that time to protect our sacred sites and

subsequently chairwoman of our tribe, I had been able to

our tribal lands. Once we were re-recognized by the fed-

advocate for various pieces of legislation and regulatory

eral government in 1994, we then were not only able to

guidance, including some that were related to Treasury.

repurchase our burial grounds, which had been taken

november 2022 15

people & places Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen looks on as new U.S. Treasurer Marilynn Malerba signs her name, a signature that will soon appear on new U.S. currency, during a ceremony in September in Washington, D.C. Malerba is a member and lifelong chief of the Mohegan Tribe. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

by eminent domain by the state, restore our museum and church, regain tribal lands and provide important services to our tribal citizens because we were able to engage in economic development as well as engage with the federal government on a nation-to-nation basis. I think the message for me from my elders was always to keep your tribe in your heart and not give up when times were hard. TDM: As a woman, as a Native American, as a first female chief, how do you plan to approach the job and how has your time as a Mohegan chief affected the way you handle people and issues? MALERBA: Thank you for asking this question. My first career as a nurse taught me so much about how to care for others—not just the patient, but their family, my co-workers and everyone who makes up our community. When I became chief, our medicine woman bestowed my Mohegan name, Many Hearts,

through not only our job creation but by the goods and ser-

upon me, saying “You have held many hearts

vices we purchase from approximately 2,000 businesses here

in your hands in the past and now as chief,

in Connecticut. All those businesses employ people who spend

you hold our hearts in your hands.” I carry

their discretionary dollars locally, and all those employees and

this name forward proudly. I always believe

businesses pay taxes to the state. We all benefit when all com-

that we can achieve our goals in a way that

munities are thriving. I think regardless of the role we play, we

leaves everyone better for it. One of the roles

should always represent the best interests of the people we are

of the treasurer is community engagement.

responsible for.

What I have seen in the second half of my

career as a tribal leader is that when commu-

TDM: You have become a role model not only to women but to

nities thrive, everyone around them is lifted

other Native Americans. Do you feel a burden in that you have

up. Our own experience here at Mohegan is

been thrust into such a role?

that with our business development, the local

MALERBA: I am proud to be in this role and I hope it shows

and state communities have also benefited

our younger tribal members to have faith in themselves and

magazine

worked as a nurse’s aide on the weekends and made $25 a day. You could actually work your way through school back then and not have crushing debt when you graduated. I was so fortunate to receive grants and scholarships along the way. One of the scholarships I received was the “coffee fund” at Montville High School. Every year, the teachers would pay for their coffee and donate the proceeds to a needy student. I will never forget their kindness and the difference it made in my life. Nursing school was a very economical way to get an education because I was a registered nurse in three years, so I was making a salary and then had tuition reimbursement to finish my next degree. And I have to say, when I applied for the Yale doctor of nursing program, my first thought was that I should have cared more about my grades at UConn. I love Connecticut, it is my homeland, I grew up on land my grandfather owned and I can’t imagine living anywhere else. TDM: Can you tell us about your family? MALERBA: I have been married to Paul for 41 years, have two children, Elizabeth and Angela, two sons-in-law, Jeremy and Matt, two granddaughters, Taylor and Charlie, and one grandson, Connor. I am blessed by them. to embrace an opportunity when it presents itself to you, even when you least expect it. I think it is so important if you are

TDM: What is something most people don’t

asked to participate that you use your voice for the good of all—

know about you or would be surprised to

it is an honor to be the voice for others.

learn? MALERBA: I was a very shy kid growing up.

TDM: Your resume is so accomplished and so much of your suc-

My teachers all through grammar school

cess was built on schooling here in Connecticut. What are some

and high school probably didn’t even know

memories of Connecticut that you will never forget?

that I was in the room. I am sure that peo-

MALERBA: Uncasville, where I grew up, was a lot less devel-

ple who have met me in my later years would

oped when I was younger. I actually went to kindergarten in a

find that hard to believe. Somewhere along

firehouse while Mohegan School (which was named after us,

the way I realized that in order to be effec-

but is not a tribal school) was being built. I definitely went to

tive, you needed to raise your voice and advo-

school the hard way—I was always in school and working at

cate for the things that are most important

the same time. When I went to a traditional nursing school, I

to all of us.

november 2022 17

people & places

SPONSORED

The changing face of the home heating oil industry in Connecticut GREENER, CLEANER AND BEING RUN BY WOMEN Brought to you by Densmore Oil Company, in conjunction with the Connecticut Energy Marketers Association (CEMA)

By Shelly Sindland, Chief Communications Officer, CEMA amie Densmore is the

a nd a m a s t er ’s i n publ ic

third-generation own-

administration.

er of Densmore Oil

“W here this industr y

C omp a ny i n My s t ic .

i s goi n g i s ver y much on

Her cozy, salmon pink office

track with my school back-

building has been a fixture in

ground and what I believe in,”

town for more than 60 years,

Densmore said. “We offer a

and is located kitty corner to

cleaner, greener fuel and our

Mystic Pizza, the nostalgic

customers love it.” In fact, the home heating

spot that inspired the iconic

oil industry in Connecticut

1988 Julia Roberts film. Not ex act ly t he pictu re

has made significant strides

people might imagine when

during the past decade

they think of a home heat-

t o lo wer g r e en hou s e ga s

ing oil dealer, but people like

em issions. Heat i ng oi l i n

Densmore are changing the

Connecticut is now an ultra

face of the industry. Women,

low sulfur fuel mixed with

now more than ever, have

biodiesel, a renewable green

taken over the reins of their

fuel made from discarded

family businesses and are helping to move them in

restaurant oil and soybean oil. The brand name is

new directions.

Bioheat® fuel, and it’s better for the environment than

“The industry has changed a lot,” Densmore said.

“It’s made right here in the United States which is

woman running an oil company? Probably not, but I

big for us,” Densmore said. “All of our heating systems

see more and more females at our industry summit.

are also made in the U.S.A., which is important to us

It’s great to see that we are becoming a more diverse

because it helps keep good-paying jobs here at home.

industry, not just with our fuel but with the people

It also reduces our dependency on foreign oil.”

running our companies.” Densmore, a young mother with a toddler at home, holds two degrees: a bachelor’s in biological science

natural gas.

“I mean, 70 years ago, do you think there would be a

magazine

In fact, the largest biodiesel manufacturer in New England is located in New Haven Harbor, creating jobs and fueling the local economy.

CONTENT “The narrative is that fossil fuels are just this horri-

electric heat, they should be able to get electric heat. If

ble thing and the piece that’s missing from that is that

people want heating oil, propane or natural gas, they

the industry in Connecticut—and New England for that

should be able to get that too. The more choices that

matter—has really taken it upon ourselves to move to a

consumers have, the better it is for prices and services.”

greener, cleaner fuel,” said Kate Childs, vice president of

Customer service is something Densmore says sets

Tuxis Ohr’s Fuel based in Meriden.

herself apart from those mega monopolies.

That’s why Childs, Densmore and other home heat-

“I had a customer who called me yesterday to have

ing oil retailers in Connecticut are urging state regula-

me help her set up her new cell phone. Are you going to

tors not to leave them out of the state’s new energy plan,

tell me that a major utility company is going to do that?”

which looks to move homes and businesses away from

Densmore said.

fossil fuels and toward electric heat as a way to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

“We also have people who need their batteries changed in their thermostat and we go over there and

“We don’t want to have people with no heat in the

change them for free,” Densmore continued. “We are the

middle of winter because their electricity went out,”

first people you call when there is an emergency and a

Childs said. “Our grid can’t handle everything. Hooking

lot of the times it doesn’t have anything to do with us.

up more homes and cars to an already overburdened

People know that we are the ones who are going to show

regional grid will only lead to more problems, and I fear

up. When you call us, you always get a real person; there

put people in danger.”

is no answering service. You’re not going to get that with

Not only that, the state’s new plan to electrify everything could potentially make utilities the only game in town: no heating oil, no natural gas, no propane.

a utility, never in a million years.” To stop the state’s electrification efforts, people are being urged to contact their state lawmakers and tell

“I think it’s best if consumers have a choice on how

them to not support the Connecticut Department of

they want to heat their homes,” said Sue Santopietro,

Energy and Environmental Protection’s Comprehensive

president of Baribault Fuel in Oakville. “If people want

Energy Strategy 2022.

left Jamie Densmore, owner of Densmore Oil Company in Mystic, holds two degrees, including one in biological science. “Where the industry is going is very much on track with my school background and what I believe in,” says Densmore, of the industry’s move toward cleaner and greener home heating oil. photo courtesy of Densmore Oil company right Densmore Oil delivers home heating oil and exceptional customer service, even going so far as to help their customers with problems unrelated to heating. photo courtesy of Densmore Oil company

Brought to you by Densmore Oil Company; 1 Water St, Mystic; 860-536-7927; densmoreoil.com Open Monday-Friday 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Closed Saturday & Sunday Factual statements made by Connecticut Energy Marketers Association. For details, contact 860-613-2041 or 1-866-521-4272 or visit ctema.com.

november 2022 19

E N T E R TA I N I N G

R E S TA U R A N T S

Bluff Point State Park, Groton. photo by Jacqueline Duncan

RECIPES

taste

get your Thanksgiving to go

magazine

FOOD & DRINK

taste

turkey takeout FROM SIDES TO FULL SPREADS, THESE THANKSGIVING DAY PROS HAVE YOUR HOLIDAY DINNER COVERED by jenniFer CarmiChael

ake a break from all the shopping, prepping and coordinating with family members about who’s bringing what and consider picking up a full Thanksgiving dinner from a local caterer or market. We’ve rounded up some local Turkey Day food pros that sell pre-cooked individual dinners or complete meals for large parties, so you can let someone else prepare everything from hors d’oeuvres to desserts and everything in between. Just be sure to call ahead to place your order. And voila—pick up the day before the big event, relax and enjoy.

“Our side dishes are the most popular since these consume the most time, energy and money to prepare.” IVY MELLOW november 2022 21

taste

photo courtesy of pasta vita

PA S TA V ITA in Old Saybrook offers a complete Thanksgiving Day catering menu with all the classic fixings: sliced roast turkey breast, cranberry herb stuffing or sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and a variety of vegetable sides such as glazed carrots and green beans with toasted almonds. Pick up hors d’oeuvres

PA STA 22

magazine

V I TA

too, from a cheese and cracker platter to shrimp cocktail. Also available for purchase in-store Tha n k sg iv i ng week: butternut bisque, wild mushroom and rosemary soup, turkey and wild rice soup, fresh cranberry relish, green salads, and a selec-

Family Owned

tion of pies (apple, pecan, pumpkin, blueberry, mixed fruit and ricotta pie), plus cookies and cupcakes. The store will take orders to serve eight to 12 people. Smaller cont a i ner s of Tha n k sg iv i ng

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL Landscape Appeal | Design | Installation | Maintenance

items, which serve two people, will be available for purchase, but not for preorder. The dead-

scaping company land

2018

scaping company land

2019

line to place an order is Saturday, November 19 at 4 p.m. Orders w i l l be ava i lable for pick up Tue s d ay, No ve mb e r 2 2 a n d Wednesday, November 23. The complete Thanksgiving menu is available online at pastavita.com (click on the Old Saybrook location). Printed copies of the menu are also available in the store.

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taste

GOURMET

G A L L E Y C AT E R I N G GOURMET GALLEY CATERING will be preparing

whole turkeys with pan gravy from Gozzi’s Turkey Farm in Guilford. Brined, seasoned and cooked to perfection, a small turkey serves 12 for $145 and a large turkey serves 18 for $165. Sliced turkey breast to serve four is also available for $33. In addition, there are Thanksgiving dinner packages to serve two ($75) or eight ($235). The Thanksgiving menu also includes a selection of hors d’oeuvres, accompaniments, desserts, wine pairings and even additions like turkey stock and morning-after bites. Order by November 18, 5 p.m. Pickup or delivery on Wednesday, November 23. Pickup will be at Gourmet Galley Catering’s two retail stores: Gourmet Galley at Home, North Stonington, and Gourmet Galley at Home, Niantic. Delivery is from 3 to 6 p.m. for $50 with a minimum order of $150. An ordering link is available on Gourmet Galley’s website, gourmet-galley.com, and social media pages: Facebook, @gourmetgalley, and Instagram, @gourmetgalleycatering.

magazine

MCQUADE’S MARKETPLACE is once again serving a complete Thanksgiving dinner. A feast serving 12 to 14 includes a 14- to 16-pound turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, traditional stuffing, green bean casserole, turkey gravy, cranberry relish and freshly baked apple and pumpkin pies for $209.99. The same dinner serving eight to 10 people comes with a 12 to 14-pound turkey for $164.99. A dinner for four comes with three pounds of carved white turkey meat, sides and half of an apple pie and half of a pumpkin pie ($84.99). There is also a dinner for one for $21.99. Go to mcquadesmarket.com to place an order by Wednesday, November 16. Pickup on Wednesday, November 23, in either the Mystic or Westerly locations. All items come in ovensafe containers with reheating instructions.

MCQUADE’S

MARKETPLACE

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photo Courtesy of gourmet galley Catering

november 2022 25

taste

COFFEES

COUNTRY MARKET COFFEES COUNTRY MARKET in Old Lyme offers a Thanksgiving dinner that serves 10 to 12 people for $325. Cooked and ready to reheat, it includes brined, herbrubbed turkey, a quart of turkey gravy, a jar of Teresa’s cranberry chutney, stuffing, a choice of three sides and apple or pumpkin pie. An individual turkey dinner includes white

a nd d a rk me at , g r av y, cranberry chutney, stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetables (usually carrots and green beans), and a piece of pie ($18.95). Coffees also prepares a la carte items, from the turkey gravy to herb mashed potatoes and cauliflower au gratin. And don’t forget dessert — all pies, cheesecakes and cakes are made at Coffees. While they make the traditional apple and pumpkin pies, they also do a chocolate cream and sweet potato pie, among others. Orders can be placed over the phone 860-434-1877, ext. 2, in-store or online at coffeescountrymarket.com until Monday, November 14, 3 p.m. Curbside pickup is Wednesday, November 23, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the back of Coffees parking lot.

magazine

photo courtesy of ivy’s simply homemade

IVY’S SIMPLY HOMEMADE is in its 10th year catering

“Our side dishes are the most popular since these

Thanksgiving. The Waterford-based catering and retail

consume the most time, energy and money to pre-

store will continue to take orders until November 10.

pare,” says owner Ivy Mellow. “Others just order gravy

For the main course, Ivy’s offers a carved turkey breast

because they simply just don’t like making it.”

w ith grav y (f ive pounds, feeds eight to 10 people, $95) or a whole turkey with gravy (20 pounds, feeds 18 to 20, $200). Simply inquire if you’d like it carved ahead. An individual full dinner, which includes turkey, gravy, cran-

IS V Y ’ S I M P L Y

HOMEMADE

berry stuffing, white or sweet potatoes, green bean casserole or corn, roll and butter and apple or pumpkin pie is priced at $22.

Iv y ’s des ser t s i nclude pies ($22), triple chocolate mousse cake or tiramisu ($35). Have a sma ll loca l business? Ivy says her hightop apple, blueberr y and apple crisp pies are a perfect gift for clients. Boxes come

with a personalized label and seasonal bow. Pickup is Wednesday, November 23, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Inquire about gluten-free items. Visit

Sides serving four to six people ($15), 12-15 ($38)

ivyssimplyhomemade.com to see the Thanksgiving

and 25-30 ($75) range from classic mashed potatoes

menu online or call 860-442-8646 for more infor-

to roasted brussels sprouts with bacon and garlic.

mation.

november 2022 27

taste | RESTAURANT LISTINGS ASIAN

FAMILY STYLE

GIULIANO’S BAKERY

PINK BASIL

GROTON TOWNHOUSE RESTAURANT

Hometown bakery known for crispy bread, rolls and pastries. Also serving breakfast sandwiches. Come see us for our large diverse variety of baked goods. Open daily 5 a.m.–8 p.m.

Our menu reflects the time-honored traditions of authentic Asian cuisine. With influences from Japan, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, our dishes can transport you around the world in one bite. Open Monday–Friday 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday 12–9 p.m.

284 Main Street, Niantic 860-739-5495; nianticbakery.com

We are a family-style restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. We also have a large assortment of fresh-baked pies and cakes daily. Open daily 6 a.m.–9 p.m. 355 CT-12, Groton; 860-449-0355 grotontownhouserestaurant.com

27 Coogan Boulevard, Building 3B, Mystic 860-245-4470; pinkbasilct.com

BARBECUE

FINE DINING

NOBLE SMOKEHOUSE

BAKERY

85 MAIN

DEKE’S BAGELS

WE LIVE, BREATHE AND SMOKE BARBECUE! With a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University, our chef Christopher Lusk is excited to present our unique sauces and flavors to you. Open Wednesday–Thursday 12–7 p.m.; Friday–Saturday 12–8 p.m.; Sunday 12–7 p.m.; Monday 4–7 p.m.; Closed Tuesday

Deke’s Bagels sells fresh bagels, sandwiches, muffins, coffee, smoothies and more. Order online or come visit our Niantic or new Guilford location. Open 7 a.m.–2 p.m. 157 West Main Street, Niantic 1013 Boston Post Road, Guilford 860-739-9509; dekesbagels.com

4 Roosevelt Avenue, Mystic 860-415-9564; noblesmokehouse.com

Price range Online ordering Open late

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Take out

Breakfast

Brunch

Delivery

Entertainment

Lunch

Outdoor dining

Cash only

Facebook

Fresh, contemporary fare, seasonally influenced. Fresh seafood, steaks and locally grown produce. High-quality sushi and full raw bar. Enjoy creative cocktails while dining on our patio, weather permitting. Open Sunday–Wednesday 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Thursday 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m.; Friday–Saturday 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m. 85 Main Street, Putnam 860-928-1660; 85main.com

Dinner

Kids’ menu

Alcohol served Twitter

Call ahead Instagram

ITALIAN

BUON APPETITO RISTORANTE & PIZZERIA

Family-owned and operated Italian restaurant serving an eclectic mix of northern Italian dishes with the best service, food and presentation. Enjoy a true dining experience with a Tuscan flair. Open Tuesday & Wednesday 3-9 p.m.; Thursday 12-9 p.m.; Friday & Saturday 12-10 p.m.; Sunday 12-9 p.m.; Closed Monday 386 Norwich-Westerly Road, North Stonington, CT 860-535-2333 | buonappetitoristorante.com

PIZZA

184 PIZZERIA

Family-owned and operated, located in the Haley Brook Plaza, on Rte. 184. Check out the GRAB & GO fridge—varieties change daily. Pizzas, grinders, sandwiches, wraps, calzones. Open Monday–Friday 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Closed Sunday 2440 Gold Star Highway, Mystic 860-245-0800; 184pizzeria.com

NANA’S BYREK

WOODFELLAS PIZZA

Woodfellas opens second location in New London in the former space of 2 Wives! Serving quality food! Contact us regarding our Rolling Pizza Truck and New Mobile Salute Bar Cart! Open Wednesday–Friday 4–9 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday 12–8 p.m.; Closed Monday–Tuesday 45 Huntington St, New London; 860-447-9337 facebook.com/woodfellaspizzanl

SEAFOOD

JAPANESE

J & R SEAFOOD

SAMURAI NOODLE

At Nana’s Byrek everything is made fresh daily, in house. We offer the following: pizza, byrek, entrees, grinders, paninis, quesadillas, salads, dessert, catering, birthday parties. Kids make their own pizza. Open Tuesday–Saturday 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sunday 12–8:30 p.m.; Closed Monday

Authentic Japanese ramen noodle soup, Asian barbecue and sushi in downtown Mystic. Noodles are made fresh daily on site. Happy hour 4–6 every day. Open Monday–Friday 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday 12–10 p.m.

316 Boston Post Road., Waterford, CT 860-437-3030; nanasbyrek.com

J & R Seafood market is much more than fresh seafood. Enjoy market-made chowders, prepared meals, made-to-order food menu, catering options and raw bar events! Open daily 10 a.m.–6 p.m. 45 Williams Avenue, Mystic 860-415-4656; jrseafoodmarket.com

27 West Main Street, Mystic 860-415-9317; samurainoodlemystic.com

november 2022 29

taste | RESTAURANT LISTINGS Retired Armed Forces Association

FRIDAY FISH FRY

Open to the public every Friday. Enjoy chowder, lobster rolls, fish & chips and more! PLUS join us on the second Saturday each month from 8 a.m.–12 p.m. for breakfast. Open Friday 3–8 p.m. 135 Garfield Avenue, New London 860-447-0055; armedforcesretirees.org/home

SPORTS BAR

C.C. O’BRIEN’S

THE STUMBLE INNE

THAI

THE SPICE CLUB

Great food, happy hour, live music, pool tables, darts, trivia, karaoke. Nominated for best burger! Open Monday–Saturday 3 p.m.–12 a.m.; Sunday 1–10 p.m.

We serve healthy, home-cooked Thai, sushi and Pan-Asian cuisine in a casual, family-friendly environment. Open since 2012. Open Monday–Friday 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m. and 4–9 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday 12–9 p.m. 239 Main Street, Niantic 860-451-8121; thespiceclubct.com

90 Halls Road, Old Lyme; 860-434-2342 facebook.com/thestumbleinne

To advertise your restaurant on these pages, email thedaymag@theday.com

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Friendly Irish sports cafe serving a variety of pub food. Award-winning burgers and wings with sports on 23 TVs! Pool and darts. 28 draft beers. Serving food Tuesday 3–9 p.m.; Wednesday–Thursday 11 a.m.–9.p.m.; Friday–Saturday 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sunday 12–9 p.m.; Bar open later 8 Mechanic Street, Pawcatuck 860-599-2034; ccobriens.com

WWW. MALLOVEJ EWELERS. COM 4 HOLMES ST. MYSTIC, CT I 262 BOSTON POST RD. WATERFORD, CT 30

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looking back LOCAL & REGIONAL

PA S T T O P R E S E N T

Garden gate, Harkness Memorial State Park, Waterford. photo by Jack knox

HIS TO RY

acknowledging the history of Pequot Hill

magazine

looking back

Pequot Hill named “Site of Conscience” TODAY, THERE IS NO MARKER TO DENOTE THE MYSTIC MASSACRE. BUT THAT MAY CHANGE

By Jennifer Carmichael

Today, the site is a residential neighborhood with

n the pre-dawn hours of May 26, 1637, English col-

no public marker, nothing to denote the location

onists under Captain John Mason and their Narra-

or remember the Native people who were massa-

gansett and Mohegan allies launched a surprise at-

cred there.

tack on the fortified Native American village on top

That may change soon, as Pequot Hill has recently

of Pequot Hill in Mystic (in present-day Groton).

been acknowledged as a “Site of Conscience,” part of a

They set fire to the fort—huts surrounded by pali-

sades—where mostly women, children and elders slept, and shot anyone who tried to escape.

global network of historic sites. “There is nothing in Mystic that honors the fact that the Pequot were the original people and occupied

A brutal attack, more than 400 Pequot people lost

this land for 12,000 years,” says Joshua Carter, execu-

their lives in what has come to be known as the Mystic

tive director of the Mashantucket Pequot Museum &

Massacre and America’s first attempted genocide.

Research Center, noting that the museum serves as the

The site of the Mystic Massacre, in a residential neighborhood known as Pequot Hill, has no marker or plaque denoting the location where more than 400 Pequots, mostly women, children and elders, were killed in 1637. p hoto by Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

november 2022 33

looking back

interpretive venue for the site, housing a permanent exhibit where visitors can learn about the Pequot people and the two-year Pequot War. T h i s s u m m e r, C o n n e c t i c u t Humanities, the state’s nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, named Pequot H i l l one of f ive s t at e “Sit e s of Conscience.” The other four locations are: the Mary & Eliza Freeman Center for History and Community, Bridgeport; the Prudence Crandall Museum, Canterbur y; Old NewGate Prison & Copper Mine, East Granby; and the Old State House, Hartford. This project is coordinated in collaboration with the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, a worldwide initiative that connects past struggles to today’s movements for human rights—turning memory into action. “Connecticut Humanities’ support and understanding in acknowledging the site at Pequot Hill gives

magazine

Above Visitors to the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center take in a permanent exhibit about the twoyear Pequot War. photo courtesy of the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center right Members of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation joined the public during the opening of the Pequot Museum & Research Center’s Pequot War exhibit in 2016. Photo courtesy of the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center

“There’s an emotional feeling when you understand the true history of what happened here and the attempted genocide by the English.” JOSHUA CARTER

us a sense of pride,” says Carter. “Not only does the site play a role in the history of the Pequot Tribal Nation, but it marks what we consider to be one of the most important events in the formation of this nation that we all call home.” Cur rently executive d irector of Connecticut Humanities since 2017, Jason Mancini was the catalyst for the acknowledgement of Pequot Hill thanks to his work at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center since 1995, including as its former executive director. “The Sites of Conscience idea is rooted in place, rooted in ideas, and there were a lot of sites in Connecticut that have historical importance,” says Mancini. “I put together a proposal of a dozen different sites around the state, brought a committee together, and whittled the list down to five sites that would ultimately pilot this program. We wanted to explore the landscape of Connecticut through the lens of

justice, looking at the events at Pequot Hill and others.” Taking place between 1636 and 1638, the Pequot War was the first war in New England between the Pequot tribe and the colonists from the Massachusetts Bay, Ply mouth and Saybrook colonies and their allies from the Narragansett and Mohegan tribes. The war resulted in the near extermination of the Pequot tribe and opened up the regions of Connecticut and Long Island to further English colonization, allowing for easier westward expansion. “This is what I call ground zero for Indian Country,” says Ma ncin i. “ The events of the Pequot Massacre on Pequot Hill absolutely and completely transformed the political and legal structure of this continent. I wanted to open the door to conversation about how we think about Indigenous people today. Where are those intersections a round justice, recognition, acknowledgement and opportunity that haven’t existed in nearly 400 years?” With more than 300 Sites of Conscience worldwide, and more to come, Carter understands that the acknowledgement of Pequot Hill as a “Site of Conscience” was a gradual process that took

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looking back THE MASON STATUE NOBODY WANTS In 1889, a larger-than-life

I n 2 0 1 6 , h o w e v e r, t h e

bronze statue of John Mason,

Windsor Town Council voted

who later served as deputy

to exclude Mason’s statue

governor of Connecticut, was

from a list of monuments and

erected at the intersection

burial places being assessed for

of Pequot Avenue and Clift

restoration, according to the

Street in Mystic, just a couple

Windsor Historical Society. It

hundred yards south of where

has been vandalized with spray

the Pequot Massacre occurred.

paint several times since being

The statue’s original plaque

moved to Windsor, according

proclaimed its purpose “to

to the Historical Society’s

commemorate the heroic

exe cu tive dire ctor, D o ug

achievement of Major John

Shipman.

Mason and his comrades,

Plans to relocate the statue

who near this spot in 1637,

once again from the Palisado

overthrew the Pequot Indians

Green to the Historical

and preserved the settlements

Society, where it could be

from destruction.”

better protected, fell through,

In 1995, it was hauled away

according to Shipman, who

as a result of the Pequot

explained in a March 2022

community petitioning to have

article, “Why the John Mason

it removed.

S t a tu e is No t Co min g to

“It was my relatives, including

Windsor Historical Society,”

my father, Joseph Carter, and

that the society is concerned

cousin, Wolf Jackson, who

about ongoing vandalism and

petitioned to have the statue

that placing the statue on WHS

removed. It was not an easy

grounds was “not consistent

process and there were many

with our stated goal of centering

opposed, citing that Mason was

‘our history and culture on the

an American war hero, and not

lives of racially and ethnically

understanding his brutal war

diverse members of our

tactics that provided the means

community.’

of winning the war,” says Joshua

“So, when the State

Carter, executive director of the

presented its final and best

Mashantucket Pequot Museum

offer, which did not fully meet

& Research Center. “There are

our expressed concerns nor

primary resources from Mason

support our strategic vision, we

years after the war that indicate

said ‘no, thank you,’” Shipman

he regretted the war tactics, which

continued. The statue remains

most historians tend to ignore.”

on Palisado Green for now.

T h e M a s o n s t a tu e w a s relocated to the Palisado Green

either the Town of Windsor or

in Windsor the following year, near where Mason once lived,

the State Department of Parks about any plans to move

and the plaque was changed to a more general description

it,” Shipman wrote in an email in late September.

of Mason as an early Connecticut military leader.

“I have heard no news from

magazine

listening to people to better

helped in shaping the nar-

understand a place and what

rative, filling in some of the

it means to the original peo-

missing pieces.

ple to that place, or what it

“ Th r ou g h s t or y t el l i n g ,

means to the current people

art, dance and song, we nar-

that are indigenous to that

rate who we are,” says Carter.

place, that’s a beautiful thing.”

“Those things we still have,

“There’s an emotional feel-

t ha n k goo d nes s , becau se

ing when you understand the

the culture is alive and well.

true history of what happened

And it’s our responsibility to

here and the attempted geno-

make sure that we preserve it

cide by the English,” continues Carter, who adds that there needs to be greater awareness and better educa-

for future generations.” Markers at the Pequot Massacre site have been talked about since the removal of the Mason statue,

tion about this critical juncture of our history. Mancini says, “To remove and erase Indigenous peo-

said Mancini in an email about a potential plaque or

ple from their homeland, you disconnect their families,

monument at the site. “The two Pequot tribes and

their communities, their culture, their language and

the Town of Groton will need to come together to dis-

resources. People might say, ‘Well, why can’t they live the

cuss a marker and its content and I would invite the

way they did?’ But it’s virtually impossible. The Pequots

International Coalition of Sites of Conscience to facil-

controlled 250 square miles of land and waterways across

itate a public discussion on why this site still matters

southeastern Connecticut and Long Island and now they

today and in the future.”

have a reservation that is a couple thousand acres.” There’s plenty of English documentation about the war, yet there isn’t much from the Pequot perspective, Carter says. “The Pequot tribe is an oral tradition society, and we didn’t have the written word,” he says. Years of research, a long w ith

Fight, Care, Cure

artifacts and collections housed i n t he Pe quot mu s eu m h ave

top left John Mason statue with vandalism in July 2020. photo Courtesy of Windsor historiCal soCiety bottom left After relocating the John Mason statue, this new plaque replaced the original, which commemorated Mason’s “heroic achievement” in the Mystic Massacre. photo by moonWaterman, CC by-sa 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons above The village of the Pequot Indians which was attacked and destroyed by Captain Underhill and Captain Mason in 1637. photo Courtesy of library of Congress

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SHOPPING

APPS

FA S HIO N

BE AUT Y

Niantic Boardwalk. p hoto by Cameron MacKenzie

BOOKS

trending

Native American films

magazine

turning pages book reviews

MEDIA

trending

Native American stories available to stream

By Kitty Williams

elling stories and passing them down from generation to generation is an important tradition in Native American culture. As you mark Native American Heritage Month, turn not only to documentaries to learn about influential individuals whose stories have largely gone untold, but also immerse yourself in narrative films and shows about the Native American experience.

1. 1. Without a Whisper (PBS) Though we are taught that women’s political voices were first heard at the Seneca Falls Convention of 1948, there were Indigenous women with political power on this land long before that. Mohawk Clan Mother Louise Herne and Professor Sally Roesch Wagner share in this short documentary about the importance of Haudenosaunee women to women’s history.

2. Basketball or Nothing (Netflix) Chinle, Arizona, is a town in the Navajo Nation that is home to 4,500 people. Not having much in the town to keep the kids busy, they turned to basketball. This unscripted reality series follows the Chinle High School basketball team as they train for a state championship under the tutelage of Coach Raul Mendoza. Even if you are uninterested in basketball, this show will have you fully invested in the fate of this team.

november 2022 39

trending

3. Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World (Netflix) With commentary from numerous Native American musicians and others, like George Clinton, Steven Van Zandt and Taylor Hawkins, this documentary explores the uncredited contributions Native Americans have made to contemporary music. You’ll be surprised by how much of the music you listen to today can be traced to Native American music.

4. Reservation Dogs (Hulu) One of the most underappreciated offerings in Hulu’s library, Reservation Dogs is a series focused on the lives of teens living on a reservation in Oklahoma. A combination of both comedy and drama, this series opens with a group of teenagers honoring their friend on the one-year anniversary of his death. Notably, this show is spearheaded by a group of writers and directors who are all Indigenous.

5. Songs My Brothers Taught Me (Paramount+) This 2015 film was the directorial debut of Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao. Set on a reservation in South Dakota, this coming-ofage film gives us a look into the relationship between a brother and sister at a time when the brother is contemplating leaving the reservation. With stunning performances and cinematography, this story will stay with you long after the credits roll.

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trending | TURNING PAGES

Louise Erdrich’s Native American experiences

by betty j. Cotter

o be a great Native American writer, I submit, should be no different than being a great writer. Why categorize an author based on their ethnicity? There are good reasons that publishing houses are finally paying more attention to the diversity of

their lists, as are literary agents, magazines and journals—because for many years the long odds of publishing were even higher for people of color. Unfortunately, this unfairness is not yet in the rear-

view mirror. But one way to think about it is to acknowledge a Native American writer without qualifiers or categorization. In that spirit, consider one of the country’s greatest writers: Louise Erdrich. She has won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award and a host of other honors. She is part Chippewa/Ojibwe (on her mother’s side), and her native heritage is a strong thread that runs through most of her novels and stories. Hers is one of the most widely read and authentic voices we have of the Native American experience, particularly in the mid to late 20th century. But Erdrich also is a widely diverse writer, who has written poetry and nonfiction in addition to short stories and novels. In her ability to connect characters and places across works, she has been compared to Faulkner. She is in many ways as good a writer, if not better than some of literature’s lions, including John Steinbeck, Sinclair Lewis and the playwright Eugene O’Neill. Why do I make these comparisons? Because Faulkner, Steinbeck, Lewis and O’Neill all won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Erdrich is just as deserving as these white men—and the more recent recipient, songwriter Bob Dylan. We can only hope she will be honored soon. This month, we will take a look at a broad range of Erdrich’s works. There is something in her oeuvre for every taste, and a reader new to her can dip into any book at any point. One interesting aspect of her writing style is its virtuosity; you will not grow tired of her voice, because she changes its pitch to suit the story. Here, then, is a selection of Erdrich’s finest.

Love Medicine (originally published in 1984; available in a revised edition, Harper Perennial, 2016) In her debut, Erdrich weaves together a series of interconnected stories set on an Ojibwe reservation in North Dakota. The stories have the feel of an oral history, as they switch from one point of view to the next. The writing is luminous, but what is most interesting is how so many issues that have only recently entered the wider political discourse—including the cultural erasure that took place at the country’s Indian boarding schools—are embedded in these stories. The horror of those places was in her work all along; why weren’t we listening?

magazine

The Blue Jay’s Dance (HarperCollins, 1995; Harper Perennial edition, 2010) In this memoir of her first year with her youngest daughter, Erdrich writes with insight and brutal honesty. She already was mother to husband Michael Dorris’ three adopted children, including one with fetal alcohol poisoning, before they had three children together. There are many moments of frustration and anger, with brief illuminations of joy and domestic tranquility. But her home life would soon be torn apart when the couple separated and Dorris committed suicide. “How many women are buried beneath their houses?” she asks. A whole other book could be found in that question.

The Plague of Doves (Harper, 2008) In perhaps the most suspenseful of her novels, Erdrich starts in medias res with a crying baby who is the only witness to a murder. This textbook prologue, taken from action deep in the story, propels the reader to find out not just who is guilty, but how the innocently accused—three Indians from a nearby reservation who are hanged for the crime—will be redeemed. But this is no police procedural. Erdrich focuses on how the guilty and innocent find their lives hopelessly intertwined, leading us to wonder about the nature of sin through the generations.

The Master Butchers Singing Club (Harper, 2003; Harper Perennial reissue,

2016)

Erdrich delved into her father’s German heritage for this sweeping novel that moves from Germany to North Dakota in the years after World War I. She draws a world that is every bit as vivid as her usual territory of Indian reservations and towns as she follows the fate of immigrant Fidelis Waldvogel and the women in his life. If her other novels tend to read in a circular fashion, like interconnected circles, this one treats time as a solid, heavy thing, as ominous as the sound of a man’s approaching footsteps.

The Painted Drum (Harper, 2005; Harper Perennial reissue, 2019) A ceremonial drum of moose skin and cedar is the central object of this book and the device that propels us back and forth in time. The drum is found in the New Hampshire estate of a former Indian agent in North Dakota. How did he obtain the drum? Who made it? The drum becomes the repository of the past, a symbolic story stick connecting all the lives it has touched and leading us on a twisting narrative journey.

november 2022 43

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first

monthly features

CONNECTICUT’S

PEOPLE STATE’S TRIBAL NATIONS REMAIN RELEVANT, VIBRANT

By Phil Hall onnecticut provides state recognition to five tribal nations: the Mashantucket Pequot, the Mohegan, the Eastern Pequot, the Golden Hill Paugussett and the Schaghticoke. With state recognition, the tribes are given

the authority to determine membership and residency on their reservations, choose their tribal government and leadership, regulate trade and commerce on the reserva-

tion—hunting, fishing and trapping on tribal land does not require a state license—and enact contracts related to the reservation land. The Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan also have federal recognition, which gives additional rights to the tribes—most notably the ability to operate casinos on their reservations. The Eastern Pequot and Schaghticoke were briefly extended federal recognition before that status was revoked at the behest of Connecticut elected officials who feared a glut of tribal casinos. Let’s consider the current state of the five tribes within Connecticut.

magazine

native american heritage month THE MASHANTUCKET PEQUOT

in 1986 with the opening of a bingo hall. The Foxwoods

The Pequot nation was believed to have an 8,000-mem-

Resort Casino opened in 1992. In July, Foxwoods cele-

ber population at the time of the first contact with

brated its 30th anniversary with the opening of the new

Europeans. The Pequot War of 1636-1638 nearly destroyed

High Stakes Bingo Hall, which encompasses 30,000

the tribe, and survivors were either forcibly placed under

square feet and can accommodate 2,200 players.

the control of rival tribes who supported the settlers, or

“It’s got the latest and greatest technology,” said Angelo

were sold into slavery and deported to Bermuda and the

Avallone, executive director of gaming at Foxwoods.

West Indies.

“LCD screens all around the room, WiFi access points,

The Pequots who were put under control of the

video tablets…. Everything has been updated from the

Mohega n s bec a me k now n a s t he Ma sha ntucket

old room. It needed a litt le update. Everything from the

(Western) Pequots and were ceded a reservation by the

carpet to the tables to the chairs and TVs and technology,

Connecticut Colony in 1666. Over the decades, the res-

like the calling system.”

MASHANTUCKET ervation saw its acreage shrink through illegal land

The tribe’s Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research

sales and the defection of tribe members. By the 1910

Center, which opened in 1998, recently debuted its lat-

U.S. Census, only 13 tribe members were still living on

est art exhibit “The Indigenous People’s Project: The

the reservation. In the 1970s, the surviving tribal mem-

Mashantucket (Western) Pequot Women.” This cel-

bers began a legal push to repopulate the reservation and

ebration of the role of tribal women in maintaining

regain lost land. The tribe received federal recognition

Mashantucket Pequot culture and history was created

with the 1983 passage of the Connecticut Indian Land

and curated by Angel Beth Smith, a Narragansett artist

Claims Settlement Act.

and graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, and

PEQUOT

Today, the tribal lands cover 1,400 acres held as federal

will be on display through May 27, 2023.

trust land in Ledyard with the potential for a 2,300-acre

“Traditionally, we are a matriarchal, matrilineal soci-

federal reservation under the sett lement act and agree-

ety in which the nucleus of our communities [is] women,”

ments. The tribe introduced gaming to their reservation

said Joshua Carter, the museum’s executive director.

Foxwoods Resort Casino and Tanger Outlets in Mashantucket. photo Courtesy of foxWoods resort Casino

november 2022 47

monthly features riverfront housing, retail, restaurants, recreation, lodg-

Today’s Mohegan Tribe was not originally native to

ing and a marina. However, work on the project stopped

Connecticut, nor was it an independent tribal nation—

in 2019 after environmental assessment crews discov-

the tribe’s roots can be traced to the Lake Champlain area of upstate New York and it was part of the wider

ways and parking areas; the project is awaiting an envi-

Pequot nation that migrated to Connecticut around

ronmental cleanup before it can resume.

MOHEGAN

THE MOHEGAN

ered extensive coal ash contamination beneath road-

A major economic ef for t has been the Preston

Studies become required in Connecticut schools in the

Riverwalk project, which was first announced in 2016

upcoming school year, we hope these resources are help-

as a 393-acre mixed-use development encompassing

ful to educators.”

1500. Internal strife between the Mohegan and Pequot

The Mohegan have also stressed Native American stud-

occurred around 1633, with the Mohegan under the lead-

ies and education as part of their ongoing mission. In

ership of Uncas separating from the main Pequot body.

April, the papers of Samson Occom—the Presbyterian

Uncas supported the English in the Pequot War, with

minister, scholar, educator and member of the Mohegan

the Pequot captives being forcibly handed over to the

Tribe who helped secure the funds for what would

Mohegan—the Pequot would later be separated from

become Dartmouth College—were returned to the tribe

the tribe, which later incorporated members of the

by the New Hampshire college. And in May, the tribe

Mattabesic, Nipmuc and Narragansett tribes.

unveiled the “Educators Project” with new, in-depth

Smallpox epidemics and other disease outbreaks accelerated

the Mohegans’ decline in the 17th

and 18th centuries, and hundreds of tribe members left Connecticut

around 1775. By the time of the

1910 Census, the Mohegan population numbered 22.

A s w it h t he Ma sha ntucket

Pequot, the Mohegan initiated an

effort in the 1970s to reclaim tribal land and to gain federal recogni-

tion—the latter occurred in 1994.

Today, the tribe has 409 acres held as federal trust land in Montville

and Norwich with the potential

for a 700-acre federal reservation under the sett lement

resources and interactive tools focused on Native

act and agreements.

American studies, all of which will be made available free

The tr ibe’s Connecticut casino, Mohega n Sun,

of charge to any teacher or home-school family.

opened in 1996. But unlike the Mashantucket Pequot,

“As a former educator, I know firsthand the importance

the Mohegan expanded their gaming business beyond

of incorporating Native American studies in the class-

Connecticut and now operate casinos in upstate New

room,” said Mohegan Council of Elders Vice Chairwoman

York, Atlantic City, the Poconos and Las Vegas. The tribe

Beth Regan. “Even prior to gaining federal recognition,

has also focused on non-gaming endeavors. Mohegan

the Mohegan Tribe has been invested in educational

Holding Company LLC operates franchise restaurants

programming in support of local schools, educators and

in the Jersey Mike’s Subs and Pasta Vita chains across

communities. The Mohegan Tribe’s Educators Project is

Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

just a next extension of these efforts. As Native American

magazine

native american heritage month left The section of the former Norwich Hospital property now known as Preston Riverwalk, from the air May 17, 2016, over Preston. photo by sean d. elliot / the day right Mitchel Ray, chairman of the Eastern Pequot Tribal Council, talks about his family at the Eastern Pequot powwow grounds Friday, March, 18, 2020, in North Stonington. photo by dana Jensen / the day

EASTERN

THE EASTERN PEQUOT

“We had something pending with the assistant

As previously mentioned, tribal survivors of the

secretary, Brian Newland,” he said, referring to the

Pequot War were given by the English to the Mohegan,

Interior Department official in charge of Indian affairs.

but some were also handed over to the Narragansett

“We filed a petition with the Office of Hearings and

Indian Tribe—many of whom would escape their cap-

Appeals and it was sent to the assistant secretary.

tivity. That group would later be ceded land in North

We’re waiting on a decision for that.”

PEQUOT

Stonington and would become known as the Eastern Pequot tribe.

While federal recognition remains elusive, the

Eastern Pequot have state recognition and have been

The Eastern Pequots began pursuing federal recog-

working with Hartford on projects impacting their

nition in 1979. However, another offshoot of the Pequot

225-acre reservation, including work on a commu-

nation, the Paucatuck Eastern Pequot, also began their

nity septic system and well and improved roads. The

pursuit of federal recognition. This created friction

tribe is also coordinating educational programs for

among Connecticut’s tribes, with the Mohegan back-

the wider region.

ing the Paucatuck Eastern Pequot efforts while the

“We have a farm-to-school program that we’ve been

Mashantucket Pequot and the Narragansett in neigh-

working on that will start engaging with schools in the

boring Rhode Island favored the Eastern Pequot quest

local community,” he said. “We can have them come

for recognition.

to the reservation to learn about native planting, soil

In June 2002, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)

health and preparation, along with testing of air qual-

granted federal recognition to the Eastern Pequot

ity and water quality. This is all put together in a cur-

and Paucatuck Eastern Pequot tribes as a single

riculum for children K through (Grade) 5. We’ve got-

entity known as “the historical Eastern Pequot Tribe

ten quite a few grants to help pay for this—we got a

of the Lantern Hill Reservation, North Stonington,

grant from the EPA, and then we got a grant from

Connecticut.” But three years later, federal recognition

the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut.

was revoked after appeals by state and local officials.

Everything’s looking positive and we’re ready to

Today’s tribal chairman, Mitchel Ray, acknowl-

meet with our neighbors and provide this cultural

edged that the work to regain federal recognition is at

experience.”

a standstill.

november 2022 49

monthly features GOLDEN HILL PAUGUSSETT

Schaghticoke Mountain is along the Appalachian Trail, which winds through the Schaghticoke Reservation. photo by morroW long / fliCkr

This tribal nation is notable for having the small-

est reservation in the United States with its quarter-acre territory in Trumbull; it also has a 106-acre reservation in Colchester. Historically, the farming and fi shing tribe occupied an area of the shoreline between Norwalk and West Haven. As with other tribes, their numbers

GOLDEN HILL PAUGUSSETT were decimated in the 17th century. An original

reservation was established in 1639 in present-day

Bridgeport, but the land was seized and sold by the state in 1802; the quarter-acre parcel was acquired in 1875.

The Golden Hill Paugussett sought federal rec-

ognition in 1982, but was rejected by the BIA in 1996 and again in 2004. The tribe has pledged to appeal, but to date the effort has stalled. The lack

of federal recognition was cited in a 2006 court rul-

ing that rejected the tribe’s effort to claim lands in Bridgeport, Orange and Trumbull.

Clan Mother Shoran Waupatukuay Piper is the

tribal leader of the Golden Hill Paugussett, and in

2021 she published the book, Red Road: Traditional

Voice of Afro-Indigenous American, which details the blending of Native and African American cultures that serve as the dual heritage

of many within the nation’s population. This summer, the Trumbull reservation hosted “Movies on the Rez

Weekends,” inviting members of the

wider community to enjoy free openair screenings of popular f ilms on weekend evenings.

Tribe members at Movies on the Rez Weekends, a community series hosted by the Golden Hill Paugussett. photo Courtesy of the golden hill paugussett tribal nation

magazine

native american heritage month

SCHAGHTICOKE

THE SCHAGHTICOKE

in Kent have lobbied against it, and U.S. Sen. Richard

This tribal nation was formed through an amalga-

Blumenthal has also publicly denounced it as “frivo-

mation of the Mahican, Podunk, Potatuck, Tunxis and

lous.” State recognition of this tribe was bestowed on

Weantinock tribes that had been dispossessed from

the STN, not the SIT.

their lands by English settlers. In 1736, the Connecticut

If the SIT succeeds, it will cap a dozen years of

Colony granted the tribe a 400-acre reservation in

failed attempts to gain land and economic advan-

Kent, near the New York border. The current reserva-

tages. Attempts by the Schaghticoke to secure 2,100

tion covers 278 acres.

acres that they claim was wrongfully taken from them

The tribe split in 1986, with one faction taking on the

were defeated in court in 2010. In 2016, STN submit-

name Schaghticoke Indian Tribe (SIT) and the other

ted an application to the office of then-Secretary of the

calling itself the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation (STN). In

State Denise Merrill to form a limited liability corpo-

2004, the STN gained federal recognition. But under

ration. The application was approved, but Merrill back-

pressure from Connecticut elected officials and resi-

pedaled and claimed it was done in error when the

dents and businesses in Kent—who feared the estab-

Schaghticoke announced they were using the appli-

lishment of a tribal casino in the bucolic Litchfield

cation to open a casino. In September, a state appeals

County region—and also from some SIT members, the

court refused to revive a 2016 lawsuit brought by the

BIA revoked its recognition.

STN that sought $610 million for land that the tribe

Under BIA rules, the STN cannot reapply for federal recognition. However, the SIT submitted a petition

said was illegally seized by the state more than 200 years ago.

to the BIA to gain federal recognition. Local officials

november 2022 51

cover story

Italian inspiration OLD SAYBROOK MARKET/CAFE FEATURES PASTA BAR, SPECIALTIES TO COOK AT HOME

by mary ellen Fillo photography by winter Caplanson

estaurateurs Lani and Joel Gargano invite you to be a copycat when it comes to cooking the way they do. And they aren’t afraid to show you how, thanks to their newest food venture, Gargano Pasta & Italian Market in Old Saybrook. “I think coming in here inspires people,” said Lani Gargano, about the new Main Street

destination that is a combination bakery/cafe and boutique featuring imported ingredi-

ents and freshly made pastas and breads. “We want people to come in and see that they can buy what they need to make simple but delicious food,” said Gargano, who with her chef husband also owns the famed Grano Arso restaurant in Chester. “We’re OK with the choice of cooking it yourself rather than eating at our restaurant,” she said. “We just want people to be happy about what they are eating.” Emphasizing that good ingredients are the key to amazing dishes at home, the Garganos’ market is an inspiration for those who want to create simple but delicious Italian-inspired recipes.

magazine

november 2022 53

cover story

magazine

Step into the store and you are immediately motivated, thanks t o a l a r ge r -t h a n-l i fe h a ndpainted mural by Jaime Jones featuring near-ready-to-be-harvested sheaves of wheat, an homage to pasta, Gargano explains. Ready to shop? The centerpiece “pasta lab” inside features carefully trained staff kneading and rolling a wide variety of pastas—the perfect base for an at-home Italian dish. “J o e l s p e n t a n i m m e n s e amount of time training our p a s t a m a k e r s ,” e x p l a i n e d Gargano about the methodical and labor-intensive process of turning f lour and eggs into ready-to-cook rigatoni, fettuccine, ravioli, orecchiette and more, includ ing some a l lergy-friendly, gluten-free choices. “We made the pasta lab very open and a place where customers can watch the process,” she said. “We want them to get excited by seeing what we are doing and the pasta that we make.” Move on to the rows and rows of soph isticated d isplays of imported and locally sourced products including olive oils, balsamic vinaigrettes, cured meats and tomato sauces that are key to simple, traditional Italian fare. “When we buy our ingredients to use for our restaurant dishes,

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november 2022 55

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“This is a place where you can not only find the products for a great meal, but get help from staff on how to do it at home.” EDWARD JONES III

magazine

owners Joel & Lani Gargano

november 2022 57

cover story

magazine

gourmet marmalades, pastes, nuts and honey. “The ingredients we liked, we put in our market and showcase those products, so our guests understand why our dishes taste like they do.” The ma rket featu res loca l products as well, and not just because they are the best, but because the Garganos are committed to the success of fellow small businesses and local producers. “We see it as a way for small bu si nes ses to suppor t each other,” Gargano explained. “I help the person I buy it from, and then I benefit from the person who buys it from me. It’s a good business move because it generates business for several small businesses and farms in Connecticut.” If cooking at home is not your best option and you want a little help in the food prep depart-

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november 2022 59

cover story “The concept is great,” said Edward Jones III, Gargano’s general manager and former executive chef at the Firebox restaurant in Hartford. “You can come here, shop, ask questions, bring it home and enjoy,” he said. “This is a place where you can not only find the products for a great meal, but get help from staff on how to do it at home.” The Garganos said they are thrilled with the reception of their new shop so far, emphasizing they see it not only as an extension of their well-known restaurant and philosophy, but a ref lection of the cooking-athome trend that emerged during the restrictions brought on by COVID-19. “We love it when we see pictures of the final dishes made w ith our products posted on social media,” said Gargano. “We had one customer who bought what she needed here and then posted an Instagram of the tomato sauce and burrata salad that she created. It was so cute and an honor,” Gargano said. “It’s what we want to do with this market. We want to bring people out and inspire them by taking great ingredients to make outstanding food.” Gargano Pasta & Italian Market, 75 Main St., Old Saybrook, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. but look for expanded hours soon. Closed Monday. 860-339-3726. garganopasta.com

magazine

november 2022 61

SENIORS

PETS

E D U C AT I O N

H E A LT H

WELLNESS

Clarks Pond at Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve. P hoto by Jerilyn Duefrene

FA MILIE S

life cycles

get up and get moving

magazine

honoring Native and non-Native veterans

life cycles

Use it or lose it A LITTLE WALKING CAN IMPROVE PHYSICAL, MENTAL HEALTH

By Jan Tormay

here is some truth to the old adage: Use it or lose it. “If you’re not pushing

yourself to a certain threshold, your capacity is just

going to slowly diminish over time,” said Dr. Jon Norman, a physical therapist at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital’s inpatient rehabilitation unit, which is affiliated with Yale New Haven Health. Walking is “paramount,” Norman said during a recent chat about the benefits of simply putting one foot in front of the other. “I really think it’s the foundation. It’s a simple activity with a lot of physical, mental and emotional benefits.” The advantages of walking—from staving off dementia to living longer to enhancing mood and warding off aches and pains—have been shown in study after study. Walking “basically affects every system of the body, from the heart, to the vasculature to the joints, to our gastrointestinal system, to our mood, and our sleep status,” said Dr. Cynthia Tucker, an emergency room physician at Lawrence + Memorial and Westerly Hospital, which is also part of the Yale New Haven Health system.

Barry and Paula Kelley of Montville enjoy frequent walks at Niantic Bay boardwalk and McCook Point Park & Beach. photo by Jan Tormay

november 2022 63

life cycles Our bodies were made to be active, she said, “and our sedentary lifestyles have really negatively affected every organ system that we have.” People come into the emergency department with such issues as constipation, joint, knee, hip and shoulder pain, and walking is often recommended, said Tucker, who is certified in geriatric care. In addition to strengthening our bones, heart and overall body, she said walking can also decrease blood sugar and rate of complications for those with Type 2 diabetes. Norman said inactivity can lead to deconditioning, muscle tightness and contractures—or permanent shortening of muscles. “Those losses in range of motion and cardiovascular function make everything a lot harder,” said Norman. “You could be more prone to falls, which is the number-one leader of fatal injuries in the elderly over 65. So just a litt le bit of movement

TRY THE “TALK TEST”

goes a long way to keep you healthy, safer and more

The “Talk Test,” also called the “Talk-Sing Test,” is a simple

independent.”

way to determine if you have reached moderately vigorous

About 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise

exercise and are getting your heart rate up, said Dr. Jon

is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control

Norman, a physical therapist at Lawrence + Memorial

and Prevention and the American College of Sports

Hospital’s inpatient rehabilitation unit. “If you can talk and

Medicine, Norman said.

sing while you’re doing the activity, it’s considered light intensity. If you can talk but not sing, that’s moderately vigorous.”

“Even if you can’t hit that threshold, maybe it’s

Meo

weeks or months away, you can build your way toward that goal,” Norman said. “Something is always better than nothing.” First efforts could be walking to the mailbox, the end of the driveway or down the block, he suggested. From there, work up to walking loops at a school athletic field, dog park, boardwalk or indoor mall. Some local senior centers have walking tracks or walking groups that schedule regular group walks. Other ways to increase daily steps include taking the stairs instead of the elevator and parking far away from stores, said Colin Burns, advanced practice registered nurse with Northeast Medical Group, a branch of Yale New Haven Health. “It’s actually helpful to stay active, it’s important for the joints to continue to move, because that will allow the body to get used to this movement to kind of cut down on osteoarthritis pain,” said

magazine

Burns, whose degree focused on gerontology. Asked if it matters how fast you walk, Tucker said that “the most important thing that matters is that you do it. But yes, there are absolutely benefits to increasing your fitness level and being able to go faster and longer” to get the heart rate up and build muscle. “Adding resistance is certainly a good strategy for any exercise regimen,” Tucker said. “So hills can be very helpful, which also can introduce a type of interval training, which has been shown to be pretty effective. But if all you have is f lat (land), that’s certainly not a bad place to start.”

opposite top Amanda Geer of Waterford and her puppy, Pepper, walk toward McCook Point Park & Beach, where dogs are allowed off-season after Labor Day. photo by Jan tormay opposite bottom Norwich residents Aleksandra Kolo, left, and Nicole Kolo with 10-monthold baby Charlie, at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford. Aleksandra said she likes to walk in the park because it is a “nice family place.” photo by Jan tormay above From left, Samantha Stewart of Niantic with 5-month-old Great Dane, Natasha, Laura Hilton of Madison and Rob Perry of East Lyme with his 10-year-old Siberian husky, Max. They followed the path to McCook Point Park. Behind them is a view of Niantic Bay boardwalk and McCook Beach. photo by Jan tormay

In addition to walking, Tucker said resistance and weight-bear-

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First Congregational Church of Stonington

pull-ups or using weights can be

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“A slow ramp-up and a slow cooldow n are more impor tant for health and wellbeing” when doing moderate to vigor-

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ous activity—especially as we age, Norman said. “You can be

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more prone to muscle strains, soft tissue injuries,” he said. Having the proper footwear is also “ideal” Norman said. “Your foot kind of anchors you to the ground. So any deviations in normal posture and

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alignment can affect the hip, the knee, the low back,” and lead to falls, he said. “So depending on what type of surface you’re walking on,

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life cycles whether it’s a level sidewa lk or track, a hiking trail … or the beach, your footwear may need to adjust to that surface to be able to give you the safest, best workout you can have,” he said. Norman recommended checking with your doctor before starting a new walking regimen to ensure “your body is capable of handling stress you’re going to apply to it.” Thrive55+ Active Living Center, Above Massachusetts friends enjoy a walk at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford. From left, they are Linda Lacoste, Sandra Chagnon, Carole Cote, Vivian Berneche and Karen Vitorino. photo by Jan Tormay Below Three generations of the Tucker family take in the gardens during a walk at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford. From left: Jordan, Krystyl, Ruth, Simon and Don. photo by Jan Tormay

formerly the Groton Senior Center, offers two walking groups to both members and nonmembers of the center: “Walk With Ease,” created by the Arthritis Foundation, is an eightweek program through a senior resources grant that meets twice weekly and is offered several times throughout the year for a fee. “Outdoor Adventure Traveling Seniors” or OATS, which involves h i k ing on tra i ls in Groton a nd throughout New London County, meets monthly and is free (except when there is a fee to enter the park). Participants in the walking programs “recognize the benefits” of staying active, said Mary Jo Riley, supervisor of the center. “It’s not immediate, but if they’ve stuck with the group for a while, they’ll see that they can walk farther. It’s a lot easier to go up and down stairs. They can carry more if they’re coming in with their groceries. So they’re fitter.” Another benef it, said Riley, is that participants “like the socialization” and that they hold each other accountable “because if you miss a class, they’re going” to ask, “Where were you?”

magazine

A GOOD WALK: WHERE TO GO

The following is a short list of local places to walk. Note that parking fees at state parks and forest recreation areas are no longer charged to visitors with Connecticut plates, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. HARKNESS MEMORIAL STATE PARK, 275 Great Neck Road, Waterford. Parking lot. On-leash dogs are allowed everywhere except the beach. Free. Colin Burns, an advanced practice registered nurse, says staying active keeps muscles and joints healthy. photo courtesy of Yale New Haven Health

CINI MEMORIAL PARK & NIANTIC BAY BOARDWALK, 30 Main St., Niantic. Free. No dogs allowed. Parking lot. A path from the boardwalk leads to McCook Point Park & Beach, where dogs are allowed off-season after Labor Day. THE OSWEGATCHIE HILLS NATURE PRESERVE, 8 Memorial Park Drive in East Lyme’s Niantic Village. Free. Parking lot. On-leash dogs allowed. BLUFF POINT STATE PARK, 55 Depot Road, Groton, is a nature preserve with numerous trails. Free. On-leash dogs allowed. Parking lot. POQUONNOCK PLAINS PARK, 1 Central Ave., Groton, features three full-size sports fields, a half-mile walking trail and the Tercentennial Legacy Playground. Dogs allowed. Free. Parking available. OCEAN BEACH PARK BOARDWALK, 98 Neptune Ave., New London. No dogs allowed. Parking lot. Admission fee. There

Dr. Cynthia Tucker says walking is often recommended to help with minor ailments like constipation and joint pain. photo courtesy of Yale New Haven Health

may be a $10 parking charge if the weather is good off-season. After Labor Day, concessions and attractions are closed and no swimming is allowed. FORT TRUMBULL STATE PARK, 90 Walbach St., New London. On-leash pets are permitted in park, but not allowed in buildings or on the fishing pier. Parking and outside recreation is free. There is a per-person fee to enter the Visitor Center exhibit area. BARN ISLAND, STONINGTON TRAILS. Shoulder parking, as well as a parking lot and boat launch site at 249 Palmer Neck Road, Stonington. On-leash dogs allowed. Free. MOHEGAN PARK, 189 Mohegan Park Road, Norwich. Free. No dogs allowed. Parking lot. ANY MALL, including Crystal Mall, 850 Hartford Tpke., Waterford.

Dr. Jon Norman says people who are sedentary could be more prone to falls. photo courtesy of Yale New Haven Health

november 2022 67

life cycles

Honoring the

veterans

magazine

top left Mashantucket Pequot tribal security officer and U.S. Army veteran Dennis Hazard carries the U.S. flag into the ceremony during the Grand Entry for the fourth annual Honoring the Veterans Powwow at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center in 2015. photo by Tim Cook / The Day bottom left Attendees can expect to be immersed in breathtaking performances, dazzling regalia and traditional music by dozens of Native dancers and drummers. p hoto by Peter Santos below An American flag is unfurled at the annual Honoring the Veterans Powwow event, which draws nearly 1,000 veterans, activeduty service members, families and museum members each November. p hoto by Peter Santos

PEQUOT MUSEUM TO HOST ANNUAL POWWOW FOR MILITARY, FAMILIES

By G.A. Peck

The main event unfolds in the museum’s awe-inspir-

onoring the service and sacrifice of the na-

ing 308,000-square-foot event space, with its soaring

tion’s veterans and active-duty service mem-

ceiling and walls of glass.

bers is the point of the annual Honoring the

Veterans, active-duty service members and their

Veterans Powwow, hosted by the Mashan-

families are inv ited to enjoy traditional Native

tucket Pequot Museum & Research Center.

American music and dance performances; the Grand

The event, scheduled for November 12, began as a

Entry takes place at noon.

smaller gathering, mostly of local Native American vet-

Outside, Native American artists and craft ven-

erans and veterans from the community, said Robert J.

dors will showcase their goods, and area food trucks,

Hayward, director of museum marketing.

including Woodfellas Pizza & Wings and Uncle D’s

It has since grown in size and scope, and this year

Blazin’ BBQ, will be on hand.

more than 1,000 veterans, representing all branches

All active service members and veterans (and one

of the military—many local, but some who travel from

guest) will receive free admission to the event and to

across the state and beyond—are expected to attend.

the museum exhibits that day. Museum members are

The event “unites and honors Native and non-Native

also welcome to attend for free.

Americans who have bravely served side by side in the

There’s also a free brunch planned from 10:30 a.m.

U.S. Armed Forces for more than 200 years,” accord-

to noon and available on a first-come, first-served

ing to the museum.

basis for approximately 75 people, Hayward said. More

november 2022 69

life cycles

information about the Veterans Powwow and the brunch may be found at pequotmuseum.org. “You can see what [this event] means to them when you look in their eyes,” Hayward said of the proud, yet private veterans who attend. The vets and service members represent all backgrounds, from their branches of the military to the era they served, from their hometowns to their cultural and ethnic experiences. The Veterans Powwow is both a way to honor their service and to share with them what’s unique and beautiful about the Pequot culture. What the attendees share in common transcends all differences and distinctions, Hayward suggested. “They served for the love of their country,” he said. Hayward hopes to spread the word far and wide among veteran and active-duty military families that all are welcome. He’s planning outreach to local VFWs. “This is really about honoring them,” he said. The Honoring the Veterans Powwow is scheduled for November 12. Doors open at 10 a.m. and a Grand Entry takes place at noon. Other events will continue throughout the day at the museum, at 110 Pequot Trail, Mashantucket; pequotmuseum.org.

magazine

top left Retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Bert Waters is honored by being the eagle staff bearer during the Grand Entry and opening ceremonies at a past Honoring the Veterans Powwow at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center in 2015. Waters, a member of the Wampanoag Tribal Nation, served in the Marines for 33 years. photo by tim Cook / the day miDDle left Veterans Leonard Fourhawks, center, of Florence, Massachusetts, of the Mohawk and Northern Cheyenne tribes, and Robert Angus of Winsted, part Native American, and fellow veterans are introduced and thanked for their service during a past Honoring the Veterans Powwow in 2016. photo by dana Jensen / the day bottom left The annual Honoring the Veterans Powwow unites and honors Native and non-Native Americans who have served side by side in the U.S. Armed Forces for more than 200 years. photo by peter santos above Traditional dances are performed in honor of veterans and active-duty personnel from all backgrounds and branches of the military. photo by peter santos

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explorations D AY T R I P S

G E TA W AY S

Glacial Park, Ledyard. Photo by Jamie Vaudrey, UConn / flickr (CC BY-NC 4.0)

T R AV E L T I P S

snowy animal tracks

magazine

lessons at Native American museums

ct’s estuarine research reserve

explorations

Backyard detectives

TRACKING WILDLIFE THROUGH FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW

domestic

by briDget shirvell

hen the snow f lies and the wind

dog

howls, it’s tempting to hunker down indoors snuggled under a pile of f luff y blankets, but dare to venture outside, and you and your fam-

ily just may discover something new about your neighbors. Your wildlife neighbors, that is. Connecticut is home to such a diversity of spe-

Deer

cies, and fresh powder presents an opportunity to find proof of the wildlife that visits our backyards in the animal tracks left behind in the snow. “The most common tracks found in yards are squirrel, raccoon, rabbit, turkey, skunk, possum, deer, fox, coyote and bobcat,” says Jason Hawley, a black bear biologist with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Dog

Finding animal tracks in the snow can be the adventure that gets you and your family out of

domestic

the house during the cold months, especially

cat

after a fresh snowfall. Typically, southeastern Connecticut gets its fi rst snowfall in December, but November—and even October—snowstorms aren’t unheard of. Bundle yourselves up, and take a copy of the DEEP’s animal track guide with you, or use your phone to snap pictures of the tracks to investigate later. Fresh and nearly melted snow is best for spotting critter tracks.

on Racco

Turkey

You can start simply in your backyard or with a walk around your neighborhood. If, however, you want to make it more of an outing, pack a snack and head to the trails at Mystic’s

Coyote Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, Waterford’s Fox

Cat

november 2022 73

explorations

white-tailed deer

“The most common tracks found in Turkey yards are squirrel, raccoon, rabbit, turkey, skunk, possum, deer, fox, coyote and bobcat.”

Deer

Dog

Coyote

Fox

Cat

JASON HAWLEY

Turkey

Bobcat

Deer Fox Raccoon

Cat

Dog

Turkey

Deer

Turkey

Coyote

Rabbit

Bobcat

Dog

Fox Opossum

Squirrel Coyote

Fox

Cat

Bobcat Raccoon

Raccoon

Opossum

possum

magazine

SkunkRabbit

Squirrel

SkunkCat

wild turkey Bobcat

Opossum

Skunk

coyote

Deer

bobcat

Dog

Fox

Coyote

Harkness Memorial Park or even the Connecticut College Arboretum. Keep in mind that if you’re hoping to fi nd animal tracks in your backyard according to the DEEP, you’ll be more likely to have animal visitors if you keep outdoor lights off. Walk slowly and pay close attention to areas near bushes, where animals may sleep at night, and around trees, where bi rds a nd squi r rels sk itter around looking for food. Once you spy some tracks, the f un of identif y ing them begins. Deer tracks tend to be pretty easy to identify. Look for two long imprints w ith a gap in between. The tracks will be about three inches long.

Raccoon

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explorations

Dog

Coyote

With their tiny round toes and fur-covered feet, rabbits will leave a repeating pattern of four tracks that form a tall, thin rectangle.

Turkey

Fox tracks can sometimes be confused with a dog or even coyote tracks. You want to look for four toes, one on each side, two at the front, and an ovalshaped pad print at the back. The tracks tend to be narrow, with the toes closer together than a dog’s toes. As you look at the tracks, consider how big they are. If you’re looking for tracks with children and want to make the outing educational, have them make a footprint next to the track. Is their footprint bigger or smaller? How big do they think the animal is? Look for multiple tracks close together to see if the animals are walking together, or maybe the spot near a bush is simply a

Cat

popular spot for animals. If you can’t readily identify the track, snap a photo Raccoon of it for further investigation at home.

When animal tracking in winter, be sure to exercise caution, writes Katerina Hutchins in the DEEP’s Connecticut Wildlife magazine. “If you happen to come across an animal while tracking, practice good wildlife watching techniques,” she writes. “Always keep your distance and never approach a wild animal.” The DEEP’s Wildlife Division website includes educational materials, fact sheets and activities and is updated frequently with events and new resources. If you’re really stuck on which animal made the tracks you spotted, check out an app, such as iTrack Wildlife, to identify them. Bobcat Let us know who is visiting your backyard.

Rabbit

Skunk

skunk

magazine

squirrel

bit

raccoon

rabbit Deer

Turkey

Dog

Coyote

Fox

Cat

Deer

Tur Raccoon

Dog

Coyote

Fox Rabbit

Bobcat

Raccoon

Squirrel

f�

Opossum

Squirrel

Skunk november 2022 77

explorations

NARRATIVES

OF THE

first

PEOPLE INDIGENOUS MUSEUMS PRESERVE, TEACH AND REMEMBER

magazine

By Cris Cadiz

“We want the public to know that we are still

ong before the first visitor stepped onto the

here,” says Lorén M. Spears, executive director of

shores of a beautiful “New World” there were

Tomaquag Museum in Exeter, Rhode Island. This

vibrant communities of Indigenous people

small but award-winning museum focuses on the

throughout the continent who had experienced

Indigenous history of the Northeast, highlighting the

centuries of culture, art, oral histories, lan-

Narragansett and Niantic peoples. It is also mindful

guage and traditions.

of the present and future.

While colonization nearly destroyed many Native

“We are a vibrant community that contributes in

American tribes and their ways of life, numerous

diverse ways to modern society,” Spears says. “We

descendants of our country’s first communities have

want people to know about our heroes, like Ellison

survived to honor their heritage and use it to guide

‘Tarzan’ Brown of the Narragansett Nation, who

their futures.

not only impacted the Indigenous community but

We are fortunate to have a number of museums

impacted the world as an elite athlete who won the

in the region that share Indigenous history, arti-

Boston Marathon twice and was a named Olympian

facts, stories and traditions with the community.

twice. We want the public to learn from the many sto-

These venues teach us what the first people knew

ries that make us who we are today. This includes dif-

about humanity and the environment long before

ficult stories, such as the impact of conquest and col-

Europeans arrived.

onization, as well as uplifting stories of our leaders,

We can learn about the rich history of the Pequots, Mohegans, Narragansetts, Niantics and other tribes of

culture bearers and artists who pass on traditional knowledge for future generations.”

the Northeast through their own voices. These muse-

The Tomaquag Museum was founded in 1958 by

ums welcome all who wish to witness and appreci-

Mary E. Glasko, known as Princess Red Wing, with

ate the first cultures that inhabited the places we call

the help of friend and colleague, anthropologist Eva

home and learn about the status of these tribes today.

Butler.

left A school group visits the Tomaquag Museum in nearby Exeter, Rhode Island. The museum focuses on the Indigenous history of the Northeast. photo courtesy of Tomaquag Museum right Tomaquag Museum exterior. photo courtesy of Tomaquag Museum

november 2022 79

explorations

above A replicated Mohegan Village that features a traditionally framed wigwam and longhouse covered in tulip poplar bark. photo courtesy of the Tantaquidgeon Museum below left This collar, made of wampum (quahog shell) from the 1680s, was worn by Mohegan Sachem Uncas. The white beads represented the two villages, Mohegan and Pequot, and the purple beads represented the trouble that was surrounding them. photo courtesy of the Tantaquidgeon Museum below right Toboggan that was used during hunting expeditions to haul game back to the village, usually pulled by a dog. photo courtesy of the Tantaquidgeon Museum

magazine

Butler provided a collection of Indigenous arti-

not only our history, but about our communities as

facts and the original location of the museum in

contemporary Indigenous people who walk in two

her home in Tomaquag Valley. Princess Red Wing

worlds, balancing our traditional knowledge with

offered cultural knowledge and a first-person per-

21st-century life,” says Spears.

spective. Since its founding, Tomaquag changed

Tomaquag Museum is located at 390A Summit

locations, encountered and overcame challenges,

Road in Exeter, Rhode Island, and is open to

and grew in numerous ways. In 2016 it was awarded

the public Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and

the National Medal for Museum and Librar y

Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Private tours may

Service, the nation’s highest honor for service to

be booked in advance by calling 401-491-9063,

the community.

tomaquagmuseum.org.

The museum’s collection includes items ranging from more than 5,000 years old, including wam-

The Tantaquidgeon Museum in Uncasville

pum, baskets and more, to modern pieces and

is the country’s oldest native-owned and oper-

exhibits by contemporary Indigenous artists.

ated museum, having celebrated its 90th anni-

Guided group tours can be tailored to themes such as nature, games, art and more.

versary last year. Founded in 1931 by Mohegan John Tantaquidgeon and his children Harold and

“We share historical, cultural, ecological and

Gladys, the museum’s mission is to showcase east-

contemporary knowledge of our communities from

ern woodland Indian artifacts dating back to the

a first-person perspective. Museum guests learn

17th century.

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november 2022 81

explorations “Here we preserve those artifacts and share them

“As a museum dedicated to providing Mohegan

with the public to provide a visual element to our

history to the community, we offer free admis-

historical narrative,” says Operations Manager Stacy

sion to all, provide outreach opportunities to those

Dufresne. “Visitors have traveled here from around

unable to visit, and host numerous school groups,”

the world to experience the spirit of the Mohegans

Dufresne says.

and the beauty of Native America.”

The museum, a three-room stone structure, sits

Harold Tantaquidgeon, one of the founders,

on “Mohegan Hill,” surrounded by a stockade fence

believed that “You can’t hate someone that you know

where visitors will find a dugout canoe, garden

a lot about,” says Dufresne. His sister and co-founder

mounds and two bark-covered wigwams.

Gladys, a Mohegan medicine woman and Ivy League-

The Tantaquidgeon Museum is open Tuesday

educated anthropologist, shared his philosophy:

through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and offers free

“Education is the best cure for prejudice,” says

admission and tours conducted by Mohegan

Dufresne, quoting Gladys Tantaquidgeon.

tribal members. Groups of six or more are by

“Our collection contains some of the oldest cul-

appointment; call 860-235-8057. Park at the Mohegan

tural objects that remain in Mohegan hands,”

Cultural Preservation Center on 1 Church Lane,

says Dufresne. “These are treasures passed down

Uncasville; the museum is just across the street,

through generations, not recent replicas. They

mohegan.nsn.us/explore/museum.

include artifacts that date back to the time of Uncas in the 1600s. People view these items as they learn

An impressive modern facility of glass and steel

how the tribe lived before European arrival and how

designed to embrace the surrounding natural land-

we adapted after.”

scape, the Mashantucket Pequot Museum &

Displays include traditional regalia worn by leaders of the Mohegan, splint baskets decorated with

Research Center has been tribally owned and operated since opening in 1998.

woodland designs, hand-carved bowls and utensils,

The 300,000-square-foot complex includes 85,000

mortars and pestles used to grind corn, and more.

square feet of permanent, indoor exhibitions plus

Left Gladys and Harold Tantaquidgeon standing in front of the Tantaquidgeon Museum in 1963. photo courtesy of the Tantaquidgeon Museum Above This display shows the process of making yokeag, or “traveling food,” shown in the jar. Corn kernels were removed from dried corn cobs and ground with a mortar and pestle to create the yokeag. photo courtesy of the Tantaquidgeon Museum right Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center in the spring. photo courtesy of Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Photo Archives

magazine

november 2022 83

explorations temporary exhibit space, classrooms, an auditorium, restaurant and museum shop.

To Carter, the museum honors both ancestors and the environment.

Multisensory, life-sized dioramas and exhib-

“We aim to show that none of what we think we

its offer the cultural history of the Mashantucket

have is ours but we are responsible for stewarding

Pequot Tribe and the natural history of their home,

land and resources for the benefit of our grandchil-

the eastern woodlands. Films, videos, interactive

dren,” says Carter. “It is important for our identity as

programs, archival materials, artifacts, commis-

Pequot people and also so we can become ancestors

sioned art and traditional crafts by Native artisans

worth descending from.” He hopes as visitors hear

are also featured in exhibits.

the Pequot story, they will recognize that they also

“Our mission is to strengthen Pequot culture

are inseparable from the environment and will “be

to honor our family and friends,” says Executive

encouraged to become ‘indigenous’ to the place they

Director Joshua Carter. “We provide a valuable

call home,” he says.

facet of the documented history of the Northeast

“Many feel that being from a different culture and

plus insight and understanding of the ways of our

community highlights our differences, but it’s our

ancestors, which helps us to better understand

differences that provide a beautiful opportunity to

who we are. Guests and tribal community members

learn from one another,” says Carter.

can learn about an Indigenous way of life, still alive

The Mee sumôk Neetôp pr og r a m (wh ich

today, that centers on the interdependence of the

means “Giving Friend”) allows the museum’s pro-

land, ocean, plants, animals, people and the intent

grams, services and workshops to be purchased

to provide for future generations.”

and donated to a school or class of the giver’s choice.

magazine

This sponsorship program coincides with a recent

in searches for accurate historical information for

state Board of Education mandate to include Native

classroom instruction, family genealogies, museum

American history in public school curriculums.

exhibits and academic scholarship.

Located at 110 Pequot Trail, Mashantucket, the

“People of different cultures and backgrounds

Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center

come to our facility to trace their roots, discover

is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday.

their ancestors’ stories, and see their history come

Admission ranges from $13 to $22 with group rates for

alive by spending a quiet afternoon in our historic

10 or more people, pequotmuseum.org.

Mystic National Bank building,” according to the

OTHER AREA RESOURCES:

center. oldmystichistory.org. The Institute for American Indian Studies in

The Old Mystic History Center in Mystic, for-

the small Litchfield County town of Washington,

merly known as the Indian & Colonial Research

was incorporated in 1975 “to recover New England’s

Center, contains the works of Eva Lutz Butler (1897-

then-largely-unknown indigenous history.” The

1969), noted local historian, educator and anthro-

museum is located on 15 acres of woodlands, with

pologist, who over 50 years collected a wide range

trails, gardens and a 16th-century Algonkian vil-

of Indigenous, colonial and genealogical materials.

lage replica. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m.

The center has maintained Butler’s original research

to 4 p.m., it offers exhibits, events, education,

collection since 1965, expanding it to include other

archaeology, research opportunities and more.

primary source material plus recently donated

iaismuseum.org.

Native American genealogies. The center assists

far left The Pequot Family Village exhibit at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center. p hoto courtesy of Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Photo Archives left The gathering hall at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center features a life-sized and intricately detailed canoe exhibit. photo courtesy of Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Photo Archives above The Old Mystic History Center (formerly known as the Indian and Colonial Research Center) in Mystic, contains archives for study of Indigenous culture and genealogy. p hoto by Bob Mohr

november 2022 85

explorations

shore preserving the

magazine

line CONNECTICUT JOINS NATIONAL RESEARCH RESERVE NETWORK

By Richard Selden n estuary is an area where river and sea meet, mixing fresh a nd sa lt water in one of nature’s most productive, if fragile, ecosystems.

Connecticut, a name that itself comes

from the Algonquian for long tidal river, was largely developed in relation to its rivers—the Housatonic, Quinnipiac, Connecticut, Thames—which flow into the semi-enclosed arms of the sea to our south: Long Island Sound. Bordered by two states (the other being New York, of course), the brackish Sound

Great Island Wildlife Area, Old Lyme. photo by Kevin P. O’Brien / flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

november 2022 87

explorations

Above Osprey in nest, Groton. p hoto by Corey Leamy / flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0) below Pine Island from Avery Point, Groton. photo by Jamie Vaudrey, UConn / flickr (CC BY-NC 4.0) right A view of Lord Cove, Old Lyme. photo by Kevin P. O’Brien / flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

magazine

basin, 110 miles long, is shaped roughly like a tailless shark, with New Haven harbor its diminutive dorsal fin. Earlier this year, a 52,160-acre zone on the Connecticut side of Long Island Sound was named a National Estuarine Research Reserve, one of 30 such reserves in the country, designated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The reserve network designates coastal sites for protection and study of estuarine systems through a partnership between NOAA and the state. “The Connecticut reserve will no doubt be a leader in promoting science-based decision-making and environmental education, and will protect and enhance the understanding of the value of the resources within Long Island Sound and the Connecticut River,” said Erica Seiden, a program manager with NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management. Now that Connecticut has joined the system, only one coastal state (Louisiana, which is deep in the process) lacks a reserve. Laying the groundwork was a “big endeavor” with a “high bar,” says Sylvain De Guise, who directs the state’s Sea Grant program, part of a network, like the research reserve system, overseen by NOAA. De Guise recalls discussions about a Connecticut reserve dating back some 15 years, she says. A coordinated push began in 2016, led by the University of Connecticut, NOAA’s Connecticut Sea Grant partner, as well as the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and state officials.

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november 2022 89

explorations In-person and (after the arrival of COVID-19) online meetings were convened to obtain input from nonprofits such as Connecticut Audubon and the Nature Conservancy, representatives of business, industry and agriculture, city and town governments and the public. The proposed reserve’s boundaries were drawn and redrawn and possible “upland” sites ranked. An environmental impact statement and a management plan were drafted, opened to comment and eventually approved by NOAA. Along the shoreline, Connecticut’s research reserve stretches from Old Saybrook to Noank, with offshore fingers extending to points across from Westbrook on the west and Mason’s Island on the east. It also includes the lower Connecticut River above Lower Connecticut River. p hoto by Judy Benson, Connecticut Sea Grant / flickr (CC BY-NC 4.0)

and the lower Thames River (but excludes the area immediately adjacent to Electric Boat). Upla nd sites a re i n Old Ly me —Lor d Cove

below Lowell P. Weicker Jr. Building at Avery Point, where the research reserve office is located. photo courtesy of UConn Avery Point

Natural Area Preserve, DEEP’s Marine District

bottom Blueback herring returning from sea to spawn. photo by Peter J. Auster / flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Area Preserve—and in Groton—Bluff Point State

right The boundaries of Connecticut’s National Estuarine Research Reserve. Image courtesy of CT DEEP

Headquarters and the Roger Tory Peterson Natural Park, Coastal Reserve and Natural Area Preserve, Haley Farm State Park, Pine Island Preserve and Avery Point, home of UConn’s Department of Marine Sciences. The Connecticut research reserve office occupies a suite in the Lowell P. Weicker Jr. Building at Avery Point, with two UConn faculty members already on the job. George McManus, a zooplankton specialist with a Ph.D. from Long Island’s Stony Brook University, is interim manager, and coastal ecosystems expert Jamie Vaudrey, who earned her Ph.D. at UConn, is research coordinator. A financial officer has been hired, and coordinators for the coastal training program—offering classes for municipal officials—and for the reserve’s education and stewardship efforts are expected to come aboard soon. De Guise of Sea Grant, also based at Avery Point, describes the partnership as a “three-legged stool,” with the reserve “a very valuable cousin.” Another cousin at Avery Point, she said, is the Connecticut Institute of Resilience and Climate Adaptation, established in 2014.

magazine

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november 2022 91

explorations

above Griswold Point, Old Lyme. photo by Judy Benson, Connecticut Sea Grant / flickr (CC BY-NC 4.0) below Haley Farm State Park, Groton. photo by Judy Benson, Connecticut Sea Grant / flickr (CC BY-NC 4.0)

magazine

Some of the top concerns, according to Vaudrey, include the harmful effects of nitrogen discharge on water and habitat quality; the threat associated with climate change and sealevel rise; and environmental justice, meaning addressing the disproportionate impact of water, weather and climate events on vulnerable communities. Both De Guise and McManus emphasized that commercial, recreational and tourism activities are unaffected by the designation. “The reserve is not a new law or regulation,” said De Guise. During the public outreach, concerns were aired by a range of interested parties, including mountain bikers, who asked, in Vaudrey’s paraphrase: “You’re not going to shut us out, are you?” According to McManus, “The actual use of the properties will not change in any way.” In monitoring the land, marshes and open water within its boundaries, the reserve’s goal is to balance ecosystem health with human use, ideally improving conditions for fishing and oyster growing, for instance. Says Vaudrey: “We really are an urban estuary and the working waterfront culture is alive and well.” A website for the reserve will go live this fall and new signage is planned for Avery Point and other reserve sites. Those interested in volun-

top Barred owl. p hoto by Corey Leamy / flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0) above State boat ramp overlook at Great Island Wildlife Area, Old Lyme. photo by Kevin P. O’Brien / flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0 below Bluff Point. photo courtesy of CT DEEP

teering should keep an eye out for the launch of a “Friends” group. On the research side, the reserve has applied for funding from NOAA, which underwrites 70 percent of the budget, to survey and evaluate invasive plant species. Perhaps the word that best sums up the reser ve’s benef its is “access”—access to a dedicated place for f ield work and funding sources for researchers, access to useful data for commercial interests, and access to the area’s wildlife and natural beauty for the public—the opportunity, says McManus, to “see up-close the kind of environment you can’t just walk up to.”

november 2022 93

Goodspeed Opera House and East Haddam Swing Bridge. Photo by Kathleen Scovish

interview Q&A

magazine INFLUENCERS

get to know Leah Lopez Schmalz

Leah Lopez Schmalz N E W P R E S I D E N T O F S AV E T H E S O U N D

By Morgan Rizzo

rowing up in southern Louisiana, Leah Lopez Schmalz could be found crabbing and fishing with her grandfather in bayous, lakes and wetlands. With a passion for exploring her surroundings, she studied the fishermen,

Photo courtesy of Save the Sound

farmers, oil workers and various others who had deep connections to the land and water. However, she noticed their personal and financial rela-

tionships with their environment didn’t always translate to protecting the resources they were relying on. After receiving her undergraduate degree from University of Louisiana, Schmalz earned her J.D. and Environmental Law Certificate from Pace University School of Law, joining Save the Sound as its staff attorney in 2001 and becoming its head of programs in 2018. She was recently tapped to succeed Save the Sound President Curt Johnson, who retired in October. As the incoming president of Save the Sound, Schmalz reflected on what brought her to this position and the work she undertook along the way that has continued to fuel her passion for saving local and global environments. We spoke with her in August as she prepared for her new role.

TDM: What first influenced you to be interested in the

Kennedy and Riverkeeper. That is where I focused on

environment and sustainability?

the nonprofit sector and environmental protection of

LS: My love of water and wildlife, and the recognition

both the Hudson River and the Long Island Sound, after

that there is a way to use our environment while bal-

exploring state and federal government avenues through

ancing that use with ecosystem stability, led me to an

internships.

educational path in industrial design. I’d planned to be a green designer, but midway through college I realized I might have more impact working on systemic change in design and manufacturing through law. After two decades, I still love waking up, rolling up my sleeves and working to make our part of the planet the healthiest it can be.

TDM: How and when did you first hear about Save the Sound and what made you want to work for the organization?

LS: I first learned about Save the Sound during law school. Once I was fully immersed, or you could say submerged, in my environmental law coursework, I had the opportunity to participate in Pace’s Environmental Litigation Clinic, where I studied with Karl Coplan, Bobby

Plum Island lighthouse in eastern Long Island Sound. Congress voted in 2020 to preserve the island rather than sell it. p hoto courtesy of Save the Sound

november 2022 95

interview | Q&A When the job for staff attorney at Save the Sound

vast network of volunteers to ensure their stories and

opened in 2001, I gleefully applied. My real-world clin-

interests are incorporated into Save the Sound’s ongo-

ical experience, the critical recommendation from

ing evolution.

Professor Coplan, plus a healthy dose of persistence, resulted in me finding my way to the Save the Sound

TDM: As president of Save the Sound in 2022, what are

office, a little shack across from the Stamford sewage

the goals you hope to achieve?

treatment plant.

LS: Over the next five years my goals are that Save the Sound creates a Sound-wide network of clean, accessi-

TDM: Can you describe your role as vice president of

ble, connected waters for all people and wildlife. I want

programs at Save the Sound?

to exponentially increase the number of eyes, hands

LS: I supervise and integrate our amazing team of law-

and voices engaged in protecting the Sound. Whether

yers, scientists, engineers, communications specialists

it is serving as local watchdogs for fish kills and pollu-

and community organizers who improve the water qual-

tion reports, or as activists standing shoulder-to-shoul-

ity of Long Island Sound and the rivers that feed it. We

der with us in Hartford, Albany and D.C., I want every-

fight climate change while building resilient communi-

one who is willing to work for our land, air and water to

ties, conserve iconic lands as open space, and catalyze

have the opportunity.

ecosystem restoration for people and wildlife. Mostly my work can be summed up as relationship

TDM: What are some of your most memorable projects

building. It is supporting my staff to do their best work

at Save the Sound?

each day, fostering trust with allies, forming strategic

LS: I’ve been fortunate to work alongside some

multipronged campaigns, and spending time with our

incredible allies, elected officials and Save the Sound

Save the Sound participated in a climate justice march in Hartford in February. p hoto courtesy of Save the Sound

magazine

teammates. A few of the more transformative projects that absorbed my attention were laboring to defeat Shell Oil’s ill-conceived Broadwater project (a floating liquid-gas facility in the Sound), creating a groundswell of advocates to protect Plum Island (from sale; Congress voted in 2020 to preserve it), launching Save the Sound’s exciting neighborhood-based green infrastructure program, and leading the diverse, bipartisan coalition of municipalities, labor entities, businesses and environmentalists that advocated for $3 billion of investment in statewide sewage infrastructure upgrades.

TDM: Why is Save the Sound important to you? LS: Save the Sound is uniquely situated to solve the Sound-region’s most pressing environmental problems. We focus on hard science, but move that science to real-world impact and tangible improvements, whether stopping raw sewage from con-

above Rain garden installation in the neighborhood-based green infrastructure program piloted by Save the Sound to help stormwater filter back into groundwater. photo Courtesy of save the sound below Water quality monitoring in the Hutchinson River by Boys and Girls Club of Mt. Vernon, New York. photo Courtesy of save the sound

taminating beaches or providing the engineering expertise to convert pavement to open space and truncated fish runs to vibrant fish habitat. We educate, train and inspire communities to unite for the water body that defines us. In the end, Save the Sound is a community of staff, volunteers, supporters, allies, residents and elected officials who are action-oriented doers steadfastly transforming this region. And we are all better off for their dedication.

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