The Stockbridge Munsee Tribe (Mohican)
By: Kaely & Madeline
Geography
- The land of the Mohicans spreads through the towns of Bartelme and Red Springs in Shawano County.
- Today, they currently own a total of 24,734 acres of land. 17,150 acres of that land is trust land, while 7,584 acres of land is non trust land.
- They constantly surrounded themselves with heavily forested and rivered areas, and would become known as “River Indians,” and named themselves the Muh-he-conneok people, translating to, “People of the Waters That Are Never Still.”
- They thrived in woodlands using elm, pine, and oak trees to their advantage, and share these woodlands with animals such as black bears, deer, and beavers.
- Around half of the tribals population lives on or near the reservation, making up roughly around 1,500 people
Religion
With the settlement of the Europeans, the Mohicans had begun converting to Christinanity from their original beliefs. They were aggreable to converting because they felt the Europeans had brought a prosperous controbuition to their land. John Sergeant, a missionary came to live with the Mohicans and teach them Christinanity in 1734.
Politics
Politics
- The Stockbridge- Munsee Tribal Council consists of seven members- president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and four council members. The Council is the tribes form of government on the reservation.
- Today's council president and four council members:
- President: Shannon Holsey
- Member: Terrie Terrio
- Member: Randall Wollenhaup
- Member: Joseph Miller
- Member: Jeremy Mohawk
- Elections are held in October every year.
- The tribe is cross-deputized with the Shawano County Sheriff's Department and handles cases such as domestic disputes, civil cases, and guardianship cases.
Economics
Economics
The Mohicans were skilled gardeners and were able to retain many crops at once. They would intercropt corn, beans, and squash together with sunflowers. Women did the gardening, while men hunted deer, moose, and smaller animals with bows and arrows. Men also hunted fish such as shad, trout, shellfish. The Mohicans had soon been brought into the fur trade and incorporated European items such as guns, ammunition, and knives into their trade systems. A downside the fur trade brought was that Europeans began to civilize on their land, and the Indians found themselves relying on them more and more and rather than depending on themselves and Mother Earth.
Society
Society
- The Mohicans would follow their descendants through their mothers bloodline, making them matrilineal. And with that came four matrilineal clans; bear, wolf, and turtle, and turkey.
- Leadership was ruled by men, and if you were a descendant of an important family, you became a person of importance as well.
- Each clan had a chief or tribal leader, also called Sachems, and you were chosen from a leading or more significant family.
- Sachems had authority over territory, people, and decisions, and was also known to have more than one wife.
- Each clan also had a shaman who would perform rituals, cure illnesses, and hold other ceremonies.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockbridge%E2%80%93Munsee_Community
https://www.glitc.org/tribes-served/stockbridge-munsee-community/
https://www.mpm.edu/content/wirp/ICW-158
https://www3.uwsp.edu/forestry/StuJournals/Documents/NA/nhyer.pdf
https://dpi.wi.gov/amind/tribalnationswi/mohican