Political Quotes

“today I wish to recognize two remarkable female leaders of the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot Tribes in honor of National Women's History Month. Both Tribes have reservations in the State of Connecticut and are an integral part of our community. The women I recognize today represent so many other Native American women who were strong in conviction, fearless in leadership, and dedicated to preserving their Tribal identity. Dr. Gladys Iola Tantaquidgeon was a Mohegan Medicine Woman born in 1899. After learning tribal spirituality and herbalism from her ``grandmothers,'' Dr. Tantaquidgeon studied at the University of Pennsylvania, writing in the field of anthropology and working with noted anthropologist Frank Speck. She researched herbal medicine among related east coast Tribes in order to broaden her Mohegan pharmacopeia. For her impressive academic achievements, Dr. Tantaquidgeon received honorary doctorates from the University of Connecticut and Yale University. She was also inducted into the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame and received the National Organization for Women's Harriet Tubman Award, the Connecticut Education Association's Friend of Education Award, and numerous Native American honors. Her contributions extended beyond academia. In 1931, she, her brother Harold and their father, John, founded the Tantaquidgeon Indian Museum in Uncasville, CT, using education to help remedy prejudice.…”