Exploring the life and legacy of Gladys Tantaquidgeon
During his message commemorating the first-ever National Women’s History Week in 1980, President Jimmy Carter said, “From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength, and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.”
To capture the spirit and to celebrate Women’s History Month, the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, Conn., is hosting a virtual program that explores the life and legacy of Gladys Iola Tantaquidgeon (Mohegan) with her great-niece, Rachel Sayet (Mohegan), 2-4 p.m. Saturday.
Tantaquidgeon, born in 1899, was a Mohegan Medicine Woman whose family members began passing down herbal knowledge to her at a young age. Educated at the University of Pennsylvania beginning in 1919, she studied anthropology and focused on researching the use of herbal medicine among Native American communities living on the East Coast of the United States. For her work, she was awarded many honors and honorary degrees from prestigious universities and organizations including Yale, the University of Connecticut, and the National Organization for Women. She also was honored for her accomplishments by many Native American tribes.
Among her many contributions, socially, environmentally, and politically, was helping with the founding of the first Native American Museum in 1931. The Tantaquidgeon Indian Museum located in Uncasville is the oldest Native American-owned and operated museum in the country. The mission of this museum is to acquaint visitors with Mohegan culture, traditions, and beliefs. Tantaquidgeon is widely considered to be an important Keeper of Native American Culture.
The virtual presentation and discussion featuring Sayet, who has a master’s degree in anthropology and museum studies from Harvard University, will highlight her great aunt’s work as an anthropologist, ethnobotanist, and herbalist and will touch on how her knowledge influenced her family and the Native American community.
To join this Zoom presentation, register online at https://iaismuseum.charityproud.org/EventRegistration/Index/15531, email events@iaismuseum.org or call (860) 8680518. The cost of participation is $10 for non-museum members and free for members of the museum.