Free Style Essay 11

Asia Carter
Hamilton Salsich
Grade 9, English
January 13, 2010

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Proud Native American:
An Essay about What Is Important to Me.


Around 400 years ago, a conflict started between my ancestors, members of the Mashantucket Pequot tribe, and the English. Blood was shed, homes torn to the ground, lives and land taken away. It all started when the Narragansets killed Captain John Stone on Block Island. The English were outraged and wanted to get even immediately. When the Narraganset were confronted, they blamed my ancestors. The English attacked, and killed all the warriors on the island and took around  200 woman and children as prisoners. This caused tension in Mystic and eventually evolved into the Pequot War (Some people called it a war, Pequots called it a massacre.). Either way, if it was up to the English, especially John Mason, who killed most of the warriors, there would not be Mashantuckets around today.
    The tribe and my culture are vital to me. Since I was six months old, my elders have been surrounding me with information about my culture. One of the most important things for me is passing along my culture. The children of my tribe don't know that most of our culture is not written in a book. It is up to us to keep our culture going. On the reservation we think of everyone as close family, and my family is the most important thing in my life. My ancestors fought for me and gave there lives for me. The last thing I am going todo is watch my culture slowly fade away. Last week there was an inauguration on the reservation. The inauguration welcomed my 1st cousin Crystal Whipple and my 1st cousin Steven Thomas into tribal council. At the inauguration, like every other tribal gathering, the “flag song” was sung.(see video above) Almost every tribal member knows that song. They may not know the exact translation, but they know the meaning. They know it represents our freedom and what it took to get our freedom. While singing along with the drums I look around, I see 5 year olds, 17 year olds, and even 65 year olds singing, not because the are forced to or because it's polite, because it's important to them. Not only do I love my tribe, but I love helping my tribe because I feel that it is very important to give back to something that has given me so many opportunities. My tribe was supposed to be wiped off the face of the earth but my ancestors fought and fought to keep our culture alive. Nothing stopped us then, and nothing will stop us now, and I will make sure of it.