Membership in ACQTC

How legal is the ACQTC Adoption Ceremony for Honorary Membership?

The Adoption ceremony is an annual event conducted by our elders council. It is part of an ancient tradition in the Dawnland. It operates on legal principles similar to common-law marriages. By this we mean that the ceremony is public and once made public it is considered a “custom” under the common-law of our land. The only way this adoption (like any other legal adoption) can be undone is the same as a common-law marriage — by a Petition in a Court of Law. But the Court will NOT enter a decree unless they are assured that ACQTC has approved it because ACQTC is a Sovereign confederation. Our ACQTC Marriage ceremonies are the same.

The only other way is by Official Decree of the ACQTC Grand Sachem, who is the only Legal Sovereign of ACQTC. The Grand Sachem is an hereditary position and an ancient tradition. A person seeking to abandon ACQTC must petition the Grand Sachem and give valid reasons for leaving. On the advice of his councillors and sagamores, the Grand Sachem may himself banish anyone for cause; but this extreme measure has not been used in many centuries.

Suppose I want to be adopted but I can't make it to Connecticut for the ceremony?

This happens. Anyone can submit a written request to be adopted by Proxy. Then if they provide a valid excuse, we will have someone stand in for that person. We discourage this unless there is no possible alternative, because everyone who does go through the ceremony realizes afterwards what an awesome experience the ceremony is.

Can you tell me how many members ACQTC has in each of the three levels of memberships?

All total — with Full Members, Confederate Members and Honorary Members — ACQTC has over 500 members. The smallest category is our Honorary Membership. The largest is our Confederate Membership. Our Full Members average about a dozen each year. This is because our people were scattered from CT, MA, NY, NJ, PA all the way west to Wisconsin during a 200 year “Trail of Heartaches.”

ACQTC keeps Active and Inactive Rolls. Everyone either learns or gets involved in some way in advancing the goals of ACQTC. We offer these membership levels so that we may work together. Since the 20th century, the motto of the Algonquian Confederacy has been, “We are still here” — the motto of ACQTC is simply to “Set the record straight.”

What about meetings, gatherings, etc. — how, when, and where?

Our ACQTC Executive Board consists of six elders, who are all experts in various fields such as legal, political, historical, linguistic, cultural and financial aspects in order for ACQTC to thrive. They consider changes and make an annual report for our State Charter.

Each Band has its own freedom to schedule what they need to do and the National Office is kept informed. For example, the Totoket Band was meeting once a month last year during Spring and Summer.

Our public annual powwow, last held in 2003?, is on hiatus until further notice. In order to adequately accommodate the public, vendors, and commercial entities at future annual gatherings, we need to focus our current 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.

Can Adopted members receive a new name in the Indian tradition?

Yes, no matter what type of membership you have, you may send us a request and this will be done. Iron Thunderhorse usually does the naming for the Quinnipiac and ACQTC; he chooses an appropriate name and its Wampano dialect spelling.

In adoptions a person can choose a new name to be made legal. Can this be done with ACQTC adoptions, too?

Yes. After receiving a new name we can provide you with a special certificate. Write the National Office and include a check or money order for $10.00 to cover costs. This certificate is embossed with our official Corporate Seal and is legally binding. We include a Petition for Name Change and Notice of Name Change, which you can file with your local Bureau of Vital Statistics, who make the name change official with the U.S. government. Once you have that done, then you go to your nearest Social Security Office, show them the papers and ask for a new SS Card under your new name.

I’ve read that some of the Algonquian descendants are changing their name to surnames that are traditional. Is this true?

Yes, it is true. Many people of Algonquian lineage feel that when our ancestors changed their identity to add a surname adopted from the American or English or Dutch or French cultures they had left behind the original name. Original names were singular, there were no last names. But many kept their traditional names as surnames and this style is coming back.