Five Native American panel members representing the different tribes of New England discussed last night the importance of tribal identity and the problems confronting the native communities of the Northeast in the coming century.
About 40 people attended the discussion titled "Where Do We Go From Here? Priorities, Challenges and Choices of the Eve of the 21st Century," in 105 Dartmouth Hall.
The speech was the second event of a two-day symposium of Native New England scholars and community leaders at the College that addresses issues confronting people of Native American descent.
The symposium is titled "On the Thread of the Speaking Past: Survival an Revival in Native New England" and is moderated by Ron Welburn, associate professor of English at the University of Massachusetts and chair of the Five College American Indian Studies Committee.
The panelists in last night's discussion included Russell Peters, president of the Mashpee Wampanoags; Charlene Jones, of the Mashantucket Pequots; Gail Graham, a member of the Peacemaker Council of the Mashantucket Pequots; Gail Sockabas, in of the of the Pammascotti and Ella Sekatau, of the Narragansett.
All of the panelists emphasized the importance of education in maintaining the stability of the region's various tribes in the next century.
Peters talked about his tribe's attempts to obtain recognition from the Department of the Interior.
He said Federal recognition would help cement the tribe's identity, which has survived the last 300 years of European domination.
"It will protect us, it will allow us to carry on our traditions," he said.
Jones discussed the time she spent building an early-childhood center on the Pequot reservation intended to begin the education of the tribes' children at a young age.
Jones said plans to develop a curriculum for kindergarten through 12th grade on the reservation are progressing.
Graham, who is currently a student at the University of Connecticut, said she would like to study her native language in order to satisfy her language requirement but the problem with learning native languages is that the languages in many cases are no longer spoken.
"I don't want to learn Latin, or Spanish or Italian," she said. "I want to learn my language."
Graham said she would be willing to learn other Indian languages that are still spoken in the region in order to keep the culture alive.
Addressing what is necessary to promote the continuing health of the Native American community, other panelists discussed the importance of things that were less tangible than language or education.
Sockabasin spoke about the importance of community and family in Native American culture.
"What defines us as a tribal people? If we are able to pull through another challenge as a native people, we have to honor our communities, recognize our families and finally allow ourselves to heal," she said.
Sekatau discussed some of the practical challenges of living as a Native American in a predominantly euro-centric society.
