News and Events

Jan 2008: ACQTC files Petition for Federal Acknowledgment and Prima Facie Showing of Evidence

ACQTC mailed a 39 page Petition for Federal Acknowledgment a few days prior to the 1 January 2008 deadline set for itself in September 2007. Supporting this Petition, ACQTC also submitted nearly 400 pages of documentary evidence and three CDs full of additional historic, linguistic and cultural evidence.

For more details, please read Petition for Federal Acknowledgment Filed.

Nov 2007: ACQTC Resolution submitted to Congress

On October 27th, 2007, the ACQTC National Office for Legal, Political, Financial and Literary Affairs submitted a three page resolution to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources, in relation to a pending bill titled Indian Tribal Federal Recognition Administrative Procedures Act. The committee had heard evidence from Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal that the Federal Tribal Acknowledgment Act criterion was "fatally and fundamentally flawed."

ACQTC's resolution concurs with Mr. Blumenthal's assessment and proposes a three stage acknowledgment process. The full text of this resolution is reprinted on our ACQTC Resolution on Federal Recognition Procedures page.

If you support our proposed three stage process, please write your Congressman or the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources.

Arumshemocke, thank you kindly.

Nov 2007: ACQTC and Hamden Historical Society work on lost 1731 deed

A missing Quinnipiac Deed was located by the Hamden Historical Society and Hamden Town Clerk last year. It was restored by a professional company and this deed proves that the last 30 acres of land in East Haven was traded for a 50 acre reservation in Waterbury. Professor Scott Leone has photographed the deed and together he and Iron Thunderhorse are piecing together the missing puzzle pieces. We are tracking down maps, historical references etc. and when all is done Iron Thunderhorse will write a major scholarly study as the introductory piece for a new CD of the ACQTC Collections of rare deeds, treaty papers, and other documents, maps etc. to be preserved on our archives. We also hope to use this as a course study in Professor Page's course to show how ACQTC as a modern Native American tribal confederacy has used multidisciplinary expertise of language and lore combined with modern technology to restore ancient documents and revitalize our history and culture. We extend our thanks to Hamden Historical Society Archivist Joe Pepe and we are working with Joe to evaluate his HHS Reading Room where he has a Quinnipiac collection.

Nov 2007: ACQTC and Quinnipiac University team up

For the past few months ACQTC has been providing complimentary copies of QTC Press publications and materials to Quinnipiac University librarian Terry Ballard. Connecticut law (CGS § 10-16b) states that it shall use available resource materials that "must assist and encourage local and regional … education to include Native American history (1) in their program of instruction, and (2) as part of their in-service training."

Professor Ben Page, Quinnipiac University Department of Philosophy, has contacted ACQTC informing us of a proposed course on Native Americans and requesting our suggestions, critique etc. and proposed a plan where "our students might work together with you on projects that would be of real assistance to you and offer our students a chance to learn by experience rather than classroom only."

In the past, Grand Sachem Iron Thunderhorse has worked with East Texas State Univ. Native American Students Association and faculty developing curriculum and helping the students prepare lectures for their annual symposium and celebration. He has also worked with a half dozen other Native American studies programs at colleges and his work was approved for publication by a 20-member inter-Tribal Editorial Board of the Council for Indian Education in Billings MT headed by Dr. Hap Gilliland. He was also invited to contribute to Voices of Native America, a CIE Publication.

So, with this level of experience, Iron Thunderhorse developed a 3 page prospectus using Professor Page's list of “Idea Clusters” as a foundation. We will spend the next few months refining, giving each other feedback and we hope the final result will become a major exemplary course. The theme of this course is to be "Native Americans in the American Community". Watch this page for further details as this effort progresses.

Nov 2007: ACQTC appoints new Registered Agent and Business Manager

ACQTC is proud to announce the appointment of Scott Leone, Adjunct Professor at Quinnipiac University, webmaster of Shoreline Internet, and author of several publications (including one on the Quinnipiac Trail), as its new Registered Agent and Business Manager. Numerous projects are in the planning stages and you will read about them here first when they are completed.

Nov 2007: ACQTC sub-sachemships welcomed

For the past several months ACQTC has been in the process of welcoming new stump chiefs to our maweomi. A stump chief is a kind of native ambassador to one of our ancestral relations or sub-sachemships who serves as adviser to ACQTC on behalf of their own tribal entity. We welcome Tom Littledeer who is Schaghticoke Indian descended from the Cogswell family branch of the Mauwee lineage. We also welcome Robert Gray Wolf Pokras, Ph. D. of the United Cherokee nation — Gray Wolf was born and raised in Long island.

Nov 2007: Society of Young Sachems — Mantowese Order of the Bow

A North Branford family of ACQTC members who are part of the Quinnipiac Tribal Council maweomi at Totoket (Branford) are active as cub and boy scout troop leaders and district supervisors. ACQTC has just launched an active segment of its Society of Young Sachems program. The Mantowese Order of the Bow is being started in Branford, CT where our elders and parents are working together.

The order will wear a special sash worn traditionally by Algonquian sachems and will bear the patches of the order and dance troupe. They will also earn a variety of merit patches as they develop proficiency in special skills. Each dance troupe member will be provided a thunder clan dance stick, a string of wampum, medicine bundle pouch and other items. The order will be instructed by elders in special woodland skills of survival and in the flora, fauna, ethnobotany, sacred sites, subsistence patterns, and hunting/fishing/trapping-horticulture techniques. The first meeting is set for Nov. 16th, 2007 at 7 PM when Elder Bear Clan Firekeeper Gordon Fox-Running Brainerd is the guest of honor and will conduct a show and tell. The boys are anxiously awaiting a candy dance and are eager to show off their snake dance skills. About 20 to 25 boys will attend with parents and a sibling or two in tow.

Nov 2007: ACQTC request for a seat on the Connecticut Indian Commission

ACQTC has sent official letters to the State of Connecticut, Office of the Governor, House Speaker, Senate Leader, Commissioner on Environmental Protection, and Indian Affairs Coordinator. A new CT law calls for a 20 member Commission on Indian Affairs to replace the long defunct CIAC (Connecticut Indian Affairs Council). Grand Sachem iron Thunderhorse was appointed by the CIAC Chairperson Paulette Crone Morange as legal and cultural advisor in the 1970s and 80s. He also defended the Schaghticoke Indians of Kent, CT in a 1980s Amicus Brief to the CT Supreme Court and the rights of ACQTC in 2000 as the hereditary Land Steward of the confederacy against the City of Stamford and Greenwich and land developers who wanted to build a golf course there. His curriculum vitae also includes extensive expertise in the language, religion, history and lore of the Long Water Land which surpasses any one currently on the Commission.

Oct 2007: ACQTC Federal petition Completed.

A 42 page "PETITION FOR FEDERAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE ACQTC Its Tribal Existence, History, Sovereignty and Autonomy as a Tribal Nation and Confederacy of Algonquian Socio-Political Cultural Identity" has been completed by Thunder Clan Grand Sachem Iron Thunderhorse.

The Thunder Clan National Office of Legal, Political, Financial and Literary Affairs is currently assembling the APPENDICES which consists of Appendix A through F each containing different forms of proof required by 25 CFR 83.7.

The PETITION and APPENDICES are expected to be filed with the BIA OFA in December, 2007 in plenty of time before the 1-1-08 deadline set by ACQTC.

OCT 2007: ACQTC at the Hammonassett Festival

On Saturday and Sunday Oct. 6 and 7, 2007 the annual celebration of Native American culture was held at Hammonassett State Park. Gordon Fox-Running Brainerd, Curator of the Quinnipiac Dawnland Museum, Library and Archives (hosted by the DUDLEY Foundation of Guilford) had a display and info booth set up at the festival.

This is the second year of the festival and its success is credited to its sponsors “Friends of the Hammonassett” led by co-organizers Dan Rankin and Dale Carson. Rankin works at the Park and Dale is an Abenaki traditionalist who writes a food service column for Indian Country Today. Both are residents of Madison, CT. The festival offers FREE space for vendors and invited displayers. Only the best are invited, and admission is only $5.00, children 10 and under free. This is basically how ACQTC had set up its own annual gatherings.

Grammy Award Winning flutist Joe Firecrow was a main attraction for the second year. The Silver Cloud Singers and Iroquois National Team were also in attendance.

ACQTC is planning to hold its own annual gathering in 2008 at and during the Hammonassett festival. We will be helping with volunteers and hopefully our Society of Young Sachems - Mantowese Order of the Bow Dance Troups will be ready to perform at the third annual celebration.

SEP 2007: ACQTC petitioning for federal recognition of Quinnipiac

After 30 year of research and gathering evidence, ACQTC will file a Formal Petition for Federal Recognition with the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs. On 1 September 2007, we sent a Letter of Intent to the Branch of Acknowledgment and Research, also known as the Office of Federal Acknowledgment (OFA), within the Bureau of Indian Affairs notifying them (pursuant to 25CFR Part 83) of our intent to submit the formal petition on or before 1 January 2008.

A copy of that Letter of Intent is available for viewing online by clicking on the small image (at right) of that letter. Please note that it may take up to a minute to load the larger image if you have a slower internet connection.

According to the OFA website:

The Office of Federal Acknowledgment (OFA) within the Office of the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs of the Department of the Interior (DOI) implements Part 83 of Title 25 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Procedures for Establishing that an American Indian Group Exists as an Indian Tribe. The Acknowledgment process is the Departments’ administrative process by which petitioning groups that meet the criteria are given Federal “acknowledgment” as Indian tribes and by which they become eligible to receive services provided to members of Indian tribes.

See the OFA website for details concerning the procedure we must follow to obtain federal recognition for the Quinnipiac.

May 2007: Announcing the publication of the official, authorized biography of Iron Thunderhorse

QTC Press and ACQTC are proud to announce the publication of the official biography of Iron Thunderhorse, Grand Sachem of the Thunder Clan of ACQTC. This soft bound book, entitled Following the Footprints of a Stone Giant: The Life and Times of Iron Thunderhorse, is published by Infinity Press. The book is 189 pages profusely illustrated with reprints and excerpts from the art and writings of Iron Thunderhorse. Available as an 8½" x 11" trade paperback, this in-depth biography can be purchased for $20 (shipping and handling included) through the Trading Post, or you may buy the book directly from the publisher at Buy Books on the Web. Volume discounts are available through the publisher only. All proceeds from the sale of this book go directly to ACQTC, Inc.

For more information, see the article: Following the Footprints of a Stone Giant

MAR 2007: Quiripi Ancestors May Now Rest in Peace

For the past decade ACQTC Inc. by and through its Sachemauog (Chiefs) and Powwamanitompoag (Shamans) have been working with a number of universities, private parties, and agencies regarding the repatriation of human ancestral remains that were either removed from ancestral graves over a hundred years ago or have been unearthed in the 20th century by land owners.

ACQTC Inc. has now gone even further. We now have a new sacred burial grounds, where we will be re-interring our ancestors in the traditional way. This location is known only to seven people (5 ACQTC and 2 outsiders) all sworn to secrecy. The new burial grounds are located in an area that is unaccessible to the general public. By the time this NOTICE is read we will have conducted our first reburial. Nothing of value will be buried with them, just the traditional foods for a safe journey to the Spirit Trail.

Read the full article: Quiripi Ancestors May Now Rest in Peace

MAR 2007: The Skull and Crossbones Society and The Repatriation Battles Over Human Remains

… My research of historical documentation of this era shows that Professor J.D. Dana of Yale took several students to the ancient burial grounds and “opened several graves” at Fort Wooster on Beacon Hill. Townshend’s book indicates that Dana “took therefrom two skeletons of persons, now to be seen (only the skulls remain [sic]) in the medical College…” This was in the year 1836 …

… The “Skull and Crossbones Society” was officially formed at Yale in the year 1832 but its roots go back a decade or so prior to that. This is the same period where graverobbing by Yale students at the Quinnipiac Burial Grounds at Beacon Hill in East Haven took place. Townshend admits that “in the year 1822 I examined three of these graves…” long before the students did so. Our research indicates it was Townshend and his rich cronies at Yale who concocted this secret society to gain wealth, fame and notoriety by desecrating the graves of our ancestors.

Several years ago documents and photos were leaked about this secret society which enraged the conscience of the American people and Indian First Nations across America and Canada. These documents detail Prescott Bush‘s “graverobbing exploits” with a photo showing a skull and bridle on a shelf next to a framed picture of Geronimo.

… On Wednesday, May 10th, 2006 Associated Press reporter Stephen Singer filed an exclusive feature with headlines that screamed “LETTER BACKS YALE TALE THAT CLUB STOLE GERONIMO’S SKULL”. The story says that a Yale researcher from Hartford named Marc Wortman dug up a letter written by a member of this elite club written in 1918 confirming the truth. This letter, written by Winter Mead states, “The skull of the worthy Geronimo the Terrible, exhumed from its tomb at Fort Sill by your club … is now safe inside the (tomb) together with his well worn femurs, bit & saddle horn.”

Read the full article: Skull-and-Crossbones Society and Human Remains

MAR 2007: Tompson Collection Donated to Quinnipiac Dawnland Museum

The Tompson family of East Haven, CT, has a long regional history as evidenced by Tompson Avenue. The Tompson family name is also directly related to Quinnipiac/Renapi lineage.

ACQTC, Inc., is proud to announce that the lifelong collection of artifacts, books, and family papers, gathered in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s by the late Martin Tompson has been donated and bestowed to the Quinnipiac Dawnland Museum.

There are over a thousand artifacts — many dating back 8,000 year BP — that include stone axes, pipes, paint pots, knives and spear points. The books are all rare and important works. The clippings and documents are also rare and important.

Martin Tompson passed on in 2006 and we extend our heartfelt condolences to the Tompson family for their loss. We also send our deepest appreciation to the Tompsons for their generosity. Now, these rare items can profile our culture and history to children, college students, and professors, as well as descendants of the people known as ‘Quinnipiac’ and ‘Quiripey’.

These items will be cataloged, photographed, and processed into various display types (shelves, mountings, etc.) and the books will be placed with others in bookcases. Our plan is to insert book plates (i.e. large stickers with borders and names) on the inside covers to showcase who donated each publication. All books, CDs, DVDs, etc. can be studied at the museum by appointment. Many of these works are too rare to loan out.

MAR 2007: Laptop Computer and CDs at Museum

The Quinnipiac Dawnland Museum now has a laptop computer and it will be available for the public when visiting the Quinnipiac Dawnland Museum, Archives and Library. We have sent a copy of We The People Called Quinnipiac on CD-ROM too with the laptop and soon a copy of our revised and expanded Language Guide will be shipped there as well. This gives immediate access to our history and language on computer to groups and individuals who come to learn about our heritage. These items have been made available thanks to the generosity of our members and friends who want to see the Quinnipiac Dawnland Museum become a major center for the preservation of our language, religion, history and lore in addition to cultural artifacts. Arumshemocke (thank you kindly) to all who contributed to this effort.

Introducing the ACQTC Canadian Office

During the exodus of refugees from our homelands known as the Trail of Heartaches large groups and small groups opted to travel to other enclaves of Algonquian and Iroquoian havens. One small group who did not go with the larger groups who traveled to NY, PA, IN, OH, WI, KS and TX instead went across the Canadian border.

For more information and photos, read the full news article: ACQTC Canadian Office

JAN 2007: ON THE AIR!

Free Range Thought is a program broadcast on radio station WKNY (1490 AM) in Kingston NY (between New York City and Albany on the Hudson River) on Sundays from 1:30 to 3:00 PM (Eastern Time). The program is hosted by Adam Roufberg and Robert Johnstreet, and it is dedicated to presenting topics not typically covered in the Main Stream Media. Adam is also the webmaster of www.saveironthunderhorse.com.

On Sunday, January 28, they aired a show entitled “The Circumstance of Chief Iron Thunderhorse” to discuss the life and legacy of Iron Thunderhorse. Participants in that show included Ruth Thunderhorse, Dr. Jack Dempsey, Thundering Hawk Spirit (Kirouana), and Tom Trefts. Many other ACQTC members and friends were supporting in spirit.

The show could only be heard live within the WKNY broadcast area, but Free Range Thought has graciously provided a downloadable four part audio recording of the show:

• Download Part 1 — Introduction, Little Owl (28 minutes, 40 seconds)
• Download Part 2 — Dr. Jack Dempsey (35 minutes, 35 seconds)
• Download Part 3 — Tom Trefts (18 minutes, 26 seconds)
• Download Part 4 — Kirouana (24 minutes, 20 seconds)

Please note that these files are rather large and may take several minutes to download on a dial-up connection. These files are all in MP3 format and can be played on most up-to-date computers as well as your iPod™ or MP3 player.

JUN 2006: Quinnipiac Dawnland Museum Grand Opening

We are proud to announce the opening of the Quinnipiac Dawnland Museum, located in the Dudley Farm Complex, 2351 Durham Road, North Guilford, CT 06437. The Grand Opening was held on Saturday, June 10, 2006, at the museum.

For more information and photos, read the full news article: June 2006 Grand Opening of Quinnipiac Dawnland Museum

NOV 2005: Save Iron Thunderhorse

The primary cause of the ACQTC, and this website, is to foster the preservation, protection, and promotion of the Quinnipiac peoples and culture past, present, and future. We feel this cause is greater than the cause of any one person, even our own Grand Sachem, Iron Thunderhorse. In that light, we have avoided discussing on this website ongoing matters that might possibly distract you, our website guest, from that great cause.

However, since Iron’s situation has become so desperately critical, you may have heard bits of information about it and have come here seeking some confirmation of the validity of those reports. We do not know exactly what you have heard, so we cannot make a blanket statement that what you heard was true. The website saveironthunderhorse.com faithfully presents all the pertinent available facts, as well as a call to action. We encourage everyone who reads this message to visit that website.

AUG 2005: Iron Thunderhorse Nominated for Medal of Honor

The Quinnipiac Tribal Council has just been informed that Iron Thunderhorse, Quinnipiac Grand Sachem, has been nominated for the American Medal of Honor for his numerous contributions in the past quarter century to the preservation of Algonquian language, lore, and religion.

Read the full news article: Iron Thunderhorse Nominated for Medal of Honor

JUN 2004: Medicine Man Goes Back to School

Yes, friends and neighbors, members and affiliates, our very own Medicine Man, Gordon Fox-Running Brainerd (of the ACQTC Totoket Band at Branford, CT), has gone back to school! It wasn’t as a student, though; this time he returned to teach the youngsters of our next generation within our ancestral Sachemdom. The Brainerd family has a long history of living at Oiocommock (Stony Creek) that goes back many generations.

Read the full news article: Brainerd Goes Back to School

MAY 2004: Tamanend’s Day 2004

May 1^st, 2004, dawned in Harrisburg, PA, to the sound of ancient drums, morning prayers to the Dawn and a colorful display of aboriginal regalia as the Wampanoo Dawnland Confederacy of LENAPE and RENAPI people marched peacefully but proudly down the main streets leading to the State Capitol. Our people had been camped out the previous night making plans for Tammany Day, 2005. Members of ACQTC worked the security detail, wearing white T-shirts emblazoned on the front with the words QUINNIPIAC NATION and RENAPI in the middle, and in back with our Confederacy flag colors, red, white and black, and the acronym ACQTC so they were readily identifiable during the march and the gathering.

Read the full news article: Tamanend's Day 2004

We would like to thank everyone who participated in this great event held in Harrisburg, PA, on May 1^st, Tamanend’s Day, 2004, calling for…

• Recognition of the historic contributions and legacy of the Native American Indians, and in particular the Lenni Lenape and our great sachem TAMANEND, who with William Penn signed the Great Treaty at the founding of the colony of Pennsylvania.
• Recognition of the contemporary Native American Indian community in the Commonwealth and the efforts of traditional Indians in Pennsylvania to preserve and restore the practices and cermonies of the Eastern Woodlands nations and celebrate our unique cultural heritage.
• Recognition of the rights of those incarcerated in the PA Dept. of Corrections to obtain instruction and guidance from their respective tribal elders and the recognized spiritual teachers of the Indian nations, and to perform the purification and prayer rituals traditional to Native American Indian spiritual beliefs.

Partial List of Sponsors:

MAR 2004: Metacomet-Mattabesett Trail Study

Tell your congressional representatives that you favor the study and preservation of the Metacomet-Mattabesett Trails in Connecticut and that publications and signs related to these trails should include our Native American history, especially the Quinnipiac, tied to those trails.

Read the full article: Metacomet-Mattabesett Trail Study

JUL 2003: Annual Powwow

As previously announced here, our annual ACQTC powwow (which included annual cermonies, feasting and meetings) went on as scheduled July 18^th-20^th, 2003, at the Ancoda Farm in Tackachawan (Scotland, CT).

Read the full news article: 2003 Annual Powwow

Ancoda Farm, site of 2003 Annual Powwow

Public Notice

ACQTC has reluctantly decided that for the next few years our annual gathering will be a private gathering just for ACQTC members and invited guests. In order to adequately accommodate the public, vendors, and commercial entities at future annual gatherings, for now we need to focus our efforts on organizing a volunteer workforce, holding fund drives, and obtaining grants to build up the infrastructure at the Ancoda Farm gathering site (new roads, parking areas, and campsites). Your understanding, cooperation, and help are greatly appreciated.

Info Booth

The ACQTC Info Booth

The ACQTC Information Booth displays the various maps, arts, crafts, and publications available from the ACQTC. Also available at this portable booth are numerous ACQTC authorized products, including such items as magnets, bumper stickers, and flags.

You can find the ACQTC Info Booth at many local festivals around southwestern Connecticut. It can be set up at any public function given sufficient notice, simply use the contact form on this website to invite us! We love doing this because this is one of our primary tools for educating the public.

Adoption Ceremony

Ceremonial Grand Chief Billy Blue-Feather Harford with assistants preparing for the annual adoption ceremony with Grand Council Members, and the adoptees waiting for the ceremony to begin.
Bay-View Park, Oiocommock (Stony Creek) CT, 2000.

Each year at our July celebrations, ACQTC will conduct a public Adoption Ceremony. This ceremony makes the adoptions final, and Honorary Members as well as others may attend and participate if they wish.

For more information about Honorary Membership and the Annual Adoption Ceremony, visit our Membership page, especially the Honorary Membership and Membership FAQ sections.