By the mid-eighteenth century, members of the Eastern Pequot community in southeastern Connecticu... more By the mid-eighteenth century, members of the Eastern Pequot community in southeastern Connecticut had been living on their reservation, approximately 5 miles from the coast, for several generations. During the period leading up to and following the establishment of this reservation in 1683, the Eastern Pequot community lived enmeshed in colonial processes. Colonial and reservation policies placed certain pressures on the Eastern Pequot community, forcing individuals to adapt to changing and often challenging circumstances. Despite this, people found ways to endure and adapt, sometimes by adopting new practices, and at other times by preserving others. One such practice that shows remarkable continuity is shellfish collection and consumption.
In recent years, the archaeology of Native American sites in colonial contexts has increased our ... more In recent years, the archaeology of Native American sites in colonial contexts has increased our understanding of how indigenous communities persisted in challenging times. Greater attention to practices helps to create a more enriched picture, especially when set in the context of food and consumption. This article considers shellfish remains excavated from three households on the Eastern Pequot reservation, located several kilometers inland from the Connecticut coast in southern New England, to explore the role that shellfish gathering played in eighteenth-century subsistence and social practices in Native New England. Household variability in the specific species and quantity consumed, as well as disposal methods, provide insight into internal community decision making. Moreover, eighteenth-century reservation demographics strongly accentuate the role of women in the provision of these foodstuffs and in maintaining cultural connections to the coast and other off-reservation communities. Practices of gathering and consuming shellfish thus provide vectors of change and continuity in Native American communities of colonial New England, showing how these practices represent not only connections to a deeper past, but also ongoing and even resurging practices to engage with a colonial present.
By the mid-eighteenth century, members of the Eastern Pequot community in southeastern Connecticu... more By the mid-eighteenth century, members of the Eastern Pequot community in southeastern Connecticut had been living on their reservation, approximately 5 miles from the coast, for several generations. During the period leading up to and following the establishment of this reservation in 1683, the Eastern Pequot community lived enmeshed in colonial processes. Colonial and reservation policies placed certain pressures on the Eastern Pequot community, forcing individuals to adapt to changing and often challenging circumstances. Despite this, people found ways to endure and adapt, sometimes by adopting new practices, and at other times by preserving others. One such practice that shows remarkable continuity is shellfish collection and consumption.
In recent years, the archaeology of Native American sites in colonial contexts has increased our ... more In recent years, the archaeology of Native American sites in colonial contexts has increased our understanding of how indigenous communities persisted in challenging times. Greater attention to practices helps to create a more enriched picture, especially when set in the context of food and consumption. This article considers shellfish remains excavated from three households on the Eastern Pequot reservation, located several kilometers inland from the Connecticut coast in southern New England, to explore the role that shellfish gathering played in eighteenth-century subsistence and social practices in Native New England. Household variability in the specific species and quantity consumed, as well as disposal methods, provide insight into internal community decision making. Moreover, eighteenth-century reservation demographics strongly accentuate the role of women in the provision of these foodstuffs and in maintaining cultural connections to the coast and other off-reservation communities. Practices of gathering and consuming shellfish thus provide vectors of change and continuity in Native American communities of colonial New England, showing how these practices represent not only connections to a deeper past, but also ongoing and even resurging practices to engage with a colonial present.
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