Patrice Le Pera

Painting

These young women are harvesting the “3 Sisters” Crop in the traditional way. 3 Sisters is Corn Beans and Squash. The beans need the corn to grow tall, so they can climb the stalks and produce beans, the Squash need to be shaded by the Corn & Beans: It is an allegory of how humanity must cooperate, supporting the strengths and weaknesses of each other. Marjorie is the Healer and Elder of the Tribe, and kindly borrowed the Traditional headband basket from the Museum to pose with it. Also the lovely girl in fringed buskin holding the Tribal traditional dyed basket is a relict of the Tribe.

There is plenty for all. In the background is lantern hill, with white outcroppings of Mica. In the days of Sailing Ships, these could be seen far out to see, and they could navigate by the Mica shimmering in the moonlight, so the mountain is named Lantern Hill. It is sacred to the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. Very sacred dances and prayers are offered by the Elders on the top of Lantern Hill. Archaeologists have traced the area back to 10,000 years of the Tribe. The brilliant colors of the Birch, Maple, Green of the Pines cover the painting in Autumn Splendour.

Painting

It is the Fall Harvest Festival. The families gather together in the fall, Each family shares what they have to give, Bearskins, tanned hides, dried berries, and the Tribe rejoices and dances in the midst of plenty. There is enough that each family will make it through the winter. This young Dancer in White Buckskin moves with the grace of a Doe, dancing in the Sacred Circle.

Painting

The Tribal totem for the Mashantucket Pequot people is the fox. Standing for the Mashantucket People, the fox has gone through a hard, neglected winter. Murdered, sold into slavery, given blankets from a smallpox ward in England, The Tribe was nearly shattered, and its’ people scattered from Its’ original home of Long Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, to as far as Bermuda, the deep South, Chicago, New York and California.

One elderly Grandmother kept the fire alive – located on the last 5-acre “reservation” parcel left by Connecticut, after Connecticut sold off their property granted by the US Federal Government, the Grandmother kept calling her great-nephews, grand-children, great-grand-children, and begging them to come home and rebuild the Tribe. It is the very youngest generation, brought back to the Tribal Lands, that have rescued the old fox in out of the cold winter, have rebuilt the Wetu (Built in circles out of saplings, to represent the circle of the family) and with great joy sharing the warmth of the fire, comfort each other through the last of the winter. This is a portrait of one of the lovely new generation, gathering the fox in her arms.

Painting

The Healer of the Tribe holds a Quahog shell in one hand, with burning sage, the sun is just rising over the mountains, and she raises the sacred feather, to bless the young women who have climbed the hill during the night, to honor the creator, they are the Sunrise Dancers.

Painting

Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Legend: Creation Story - Tree of Life

Since Long, long ago, but continuing now, Sea Turtles roamed through space and uncharted stars. They are known for long life, goodness and wisdom. When they find a sea that is right, they stay there. God shot an arrow into the Elm Tree that had grown onto the Turtle’s Back, and it split, and out of the Elm Tree split came the man and woman, and the 13 good animals, The Bear, Hawk, Owl, Wildcat, Crow, Porcupine, Fox, Raccoon Snake Deer and Rabbit (And of Course the Turtle). The Elm Tree provided many fruits, enough to feed all the good animals and the humans. Recently we have found that the DNA of the Sea Turtle has no ending – theoretically, they could keep growing forever.

Painting

Cradleboard –

The families lovingly carve, and lace with leather thongs the family’s Cradleboard. They are carefully preserved, and handed down in the family for each new child. A Mother had a day’s hard work to do: Digging Corn, Harvesting Corn, Beans, Rice, gathering Acorns, building the fire, and they never left their babies alone. The best method to free her arms, was this early version of the backpack. The Symbols on the Cradleboard are authentic MPTN. The Grandmother offers to carry the Baby, to give her daughter a rest, and the Daughter slides the Cradleboard off her shoulder, and into her loving Mother’s waiting arms. Baby is smiling, greeting Grandmother. Down the hill, the Tribe is cultivating just enough land for needed crops of Corn, Beans and Squash.

Painting

Cardinal’s Gift – Dawn of Winter Day

For the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, cold white winter is very long, and brilliant colors are treasured. Here, the first Cardinal arrives, and preening his feathers, drops a scarlet feather to a Young MPTN woman, as a gift, to be worn in her hair.

Painting

Coming Through the Storm

Harsh Winter Storms blow in fast on the East Coast, where the Northern Woodlands – Pequot Tribes live. The men range miles into the mountains, up into forests, hunting deer to keep their family warm and fed, but when the frequent New England storms came on, they were often caught out, miles from home, sheltering through bitter nights through the Blizzard.

Each little family survived the winter in a circular Wetu, built to represent the ‘circle of life’. Small villages of Wetus clustered together through bitter, snowy winters. Families also, waited through these storms with fear. Wetus survive hurricanes, and ‘Nor-Easters, even blown nearly flat by the winds. Missing their Father, low on food, low on firewood, they would await their Father’s homecoming. Here, after a bitter, dark night, the Father returns down the mountain through the snowy drifts. His family runs to meet him.

Painting

Young woman gives Fish to Fox

The MPTN Tribe was known as the “Water People” - who lived on Long Island, the Oceanfront in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. They also built their villages along the streams and rivers, and set up fisheries, either nettign the fish in weirs or spearing the large ones. This portrait of a young MPTN woman re-creates the historic scene, as she is resting on a sunny rock. The Tribe believed in feeding the animals, even abandoning their crops after two years, so that the animals might feast and grow. So she offers a small fish to a fox-cub out of their bounty. Her Wetu is a summer woven-straw wetu, behind her, and represents that she will soon be marrying one of the young men, and they will build their own Wetu together.

Painting

Starry Night – Blanket Dancer

It is the coldest, moonless night of the Winter. Tribal Wetus cluster in a small village near the frozen river. On such a cold clear night, the stars and the ‘Milky Way’ shine brightly. Unknown to the Tribe, huddled near their fires, their angelic Blanket Dancer paces the words of the dance, holding out her transparent blanket over them, “I will keep you safe, I will keep you warm, I will shelter you and warm you, come into the shelter of my blanket.” Such a dance as a young woman would dance. Also unknown to them, their Fox totem keeps watch over them, through the long cold night.
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It is the coldest, night of the Winter. Tribal Wetus cluster near the frozen river. The ‘Milky Way’ shines brightly. The Angelic Blanket Dancer paces the words of the dance, holding out her transparent blanket over them, “I will keep you safe, I will keep you warm.” Their Fox totem keeps watch.

Painting

The Pequot people were “the Water People,” whose territory was the Coasts of Long Island, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. This young Woman’s life is between Ocean and Forest, and their Wetu Village. Because they planted crops, and their beliefs required them to move frequently, animals flourished. This Young Woman greets a Fawn between Ocean and Forest.

Painting

Starlight and Firelight Dreams

Beautiful Tribal Young Woman dreams by the fire in her Wetu. Today, she danced The Blanket Dance with this blanket, a treasured gift from her Grandmother. “I will care for you, I will keep you warm, her feet danced the words. Above her, the opening in the Wetu pours starlight on her hair, lighting her braids. Of what does she dream,, between Starlight and Firelight.