QUINNI-PE-OKKE: Long-Water-Land
Painting by David Wagner, © ACQTC, Inc.
Welcome to ACQTC Online!
Welcome to the online home of the Algonquian Confederacy of the Quinnipiac Tribal Council. ACQTC incorporated under the laws of the State of Connecticut in 1989, after a decade of organizing the Quinnipiac people. The purposes of the ACQTC are:
- To preserve, protect, enhance, and propagate our Native American, Algonquian-speaking cultural heritage;
- To revive, restore, and revitalize the language and culture in particular of the Quinnipiac people (originally of SW Connecticut) and our kindred;
- To protect and restore Mother Earth, Father Sky and all our relations to their natural balance and to foster respect and harmony in this quest;
- To teach and share the values, history, culture, language, arts & crafts, of the Quinnipiac and kindred Algonquian peoples, whose traditions were considered lost until the ACQTC was formed;
- To research and keep current with indigenous affairs and to promote both unity and harmony in the Native American communities, on and off the reservations;
- To share our personal pride, ancestral knowledge, and wisdom;
- To lecture, perform, and teach or otherwise present our culture, values, and ceremonies as an Algonquian ethos and map for living in balance in our world.
The pictographic insignia (left) for the Algonquian Confederacy is a diamond (which symbolizes a council fire, in this case, the central fire) with a sacred pipe and a tomahawk forming an X behind it. The council fire with an X behind it and a dot in the center (the dot represents a star) stands for the council fires of the Dawn Star People or Dawnlanders. This also signifies that our council fires in the Dawnland are united in peace and in war to preserve and protect our traditions.
The pictographic insignia (right) for the Quinnipiac Tribal Council is a sacred hoop with a cross at the four sacred directions. At the top of the hoop in the stepped fret motif, symbolic of the THunder Clan on top of which perches the Great Thunderbird, Our Grandfather with a "compassionate heart". The Dawn Star symbolizes the eastern shore and is centered under him and above out hoop.
Within the sacred hoop, in the upper left corner is a bundle of arrows, tied together and with sacred lightning issuing forth. A single arrow represents an independent band. A single arrow, all alone, can be easily broken. A group of arrows, bound together with similar interests, shows that our original Quinnipiac Confederation consisted of many bands bound together by lines of consanguinity. Bound together with a common thread the arrows are not so easily broken. In the upper right corner are two horn rattles which represent the traditions of our powwows, and all our domain lands inside the hoop are sacred. In the lower right corner is a man rowing a canoe. In several Algonquian dialects the word for "Indian" translates as "I paddle my canoe in the ordinary manner," i.e. Indian fashion. The Quinnipiac were dependent on the ocean and rivers for survival. In the lower left corner is a traditional weejo — our home — symbolic of the womb, mother earth, and our mother's nurturing care, as well as the family traditions passed on from generation to generation in the weejos by the women.
Spotlight
in which we highlight various sections of the website… new and old
The Quinnipiac Tribal Council Maweomi on ACTQC.ORG
The Quinnipiac Tribal Council Maweomi, or "central council fire", provides news, views, projects, and special ways our place of origins are being revitalized as we network with those businesses, universities, organizations, and townships who respect us as the Long Water Land People and honor our traditional responsibilities resulting from our sovereignty and autonomy as an indigenous nation. This section of ACQTC.org has two main sections:
- Our Quinnipiac Heritage Legacy showcases how our cultural legacy, traditions, and lore is viewed from outside of our councils. This is a place where we can officially point out the errors, misconceptions, and inaccuracies; while also honoring the accurate information.
- Our Quinnipiac Heritage Profiles showcases individuals, businesses, institutions, universities, townships, etc., who have honored our legacy, whether knowingly or unknowingly, by adopting our traditions as a template for responsible living in harmony with the ecosystems of the Long Water Land.
Connectedness
There is a connectedness within the spirit of the Native American Indian / First Nations that few people understand. This connectedness is one which extends from the farthest reaches of the galaxies to the deepest reaches of the infinitesimal.
Read the full article by Little Owl: Connectedness
May 2007: Announcing the publication of the official, authorized biography of Iron Thunderhorse
QTC Press and ACQTC are proud to announce the publication of the official biography of Iron Thunderhorse, Grand Sachem of the Thunder Clan of ACQTC. This soft bound book, entitled Following the Footprints of a Stone Giant: The Life and Times of Iron Thunderhorse, is published by Infinity Press. The book is 189 pages profusely illustrated with reprints and excerpts from the art and writings of Iron Thunderhorse. Available as an 8½" x 11" trade paperback, this in-depth biography can be purchased for $20 (shipping and handling included) through the Trading Post, or you may buy the book directly from the publisher at Buy Books on the Web. Volume discounts are available through the publisher only. All proceeds from the sale of this book go directly to ACQTC, Inc.
For more information, see the article: Following the Footprints of a Stone Giant
MAR 2007: Setting the Record Straight
Other than QTC Press Publications (produced by ACQTC, Inc.), there exist only two (2) publications and a dozen or so articles giving details about the Quinnipiac Tribal Nation. The two initial publications have several things in common. They were both published over a century ago, and both were based on information that has been refuted or rejected by contemporary scholars as well as traditionalist culture-bearers of the region.
In this latest article written by Iron Thunderhorse, the intent is to set the record straight about the history and nature of the peoples known by Europeans as Quinnipiac, and even about the goals and methods of ACQTC, Inc.
Read the full article: Setting the Record Straight
See also: Quinnipiac Factual Milestones
JAN 2007: ON THE AIR!
Free Range Thought is a program broadcast on radio station WKNY (1490 AM) in Kingston NY (between New York City and Albany on the Hudson River) on Sundays from 1:30 to 3:00 PM (Eastern Time). The program is hosted by Adam Roufberg and Robert Johnstreet, and it is dedicated to presenting topics not typically covered in the Main Stream Media. Adam is also the webmaster of www.saveironthunderhorse.com.
On Sunday, January 28, they aired a show entitled “The Circumstance of Chief Iron Thunderhorse” to discuss the life and legacy of Iron Thunderhorse. Participants in that show included Ruth Thunderhorse, Dr. Jack Dempsey, Thundering Hawk Spirit (Kirouana), and Tom Trefts. Many other ACQTC members and friends were supporting in spirit.
The show could only be heard live within the WKNY broadcast area, but Free Range Thought has graciously provided a downloadable four part audio recording of the show:
Please note that these files are rather large and may take several minutes to download on a dial-up connection. These files are all in MP3 format and can be played on most up-to-date computers as well as your iPod™ or MP3 player.
JUN 2006: Quinnipiac Dawnland Museum Grand Opening
We are proud to announce the opening of the Quinnipiac Dawnland Museum, located in the Dudley Farm Complex, 2351 Durham Road, North Guilford, CT 06437. The Grand Opening was held on Saturday, June 10, 2006, at the museum.
For more information and photos, read the full news article: June 2006 Grand Opening of Quinnipiac Dawnland Museum
We are proud to announce and sponsor the Grand Opening of the Quinnipiac Dawnland Museum, to be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, June 10, 2006, at the museum located in the Dudley Farm Complex, 2351 Durham Road, North Guilford, CT 06437.
read more…
NOV 2005: Iron Thunderhorse Article Honored
An article entitled “The Thunderbird Alliance, Reclaiming the Legacy of Tribal Democracy”, written by Iron Thunderhorse, was chosen by the Humanity & Society journal as one of their most significant writings of their twenty-five year history. The article was first published in November 1989 and is included in the twenty-fifth anniversary Humanity & Society compilation of most significant writings published in 2003.
Read the full text of the honored article: The Thunderbird Alliance
Thunderer Graphic
The graphic in both top corners of every page on this website (also shown at right) is a traditional Thunder Clan design. It represents a THUNDERER — half thunderbird, half human. This graphic is a rendition of that traditional design drawn by Iron Thunderhorse. It is based on a design found on an actual artifact from the Dawnland.
