April 2021, vol 10
Kwai Everyone
Welcome to the 10th issue of the Ko’asek Tribal Tidbits! Today’s exciting segments are by tribal members: Carol Godreau, Steven Wright, Melvia Hasman and Daniel Duhaime. Thank you all for your wonderful contributions!
Quotes, Thoughts, and News:
Today’s quote for April is from “365 Days of Walking the Red Road” by Terri Jean (Thank you Chief Paul):
It is important to understand that there are many different ways of seeing the world and expressing the wisdom of native belief… No one voice speaks for all voices.”
Joseph Bruchac, (from his book, native wisdom.)
Did you know?
Submitted by Juliana Brakeville: “Strawberries are important as food and medicine for many indigenous people.” Powwow A Celebration through Song and Dance by Karen Pheasant-Neganigwane.
Also:From Michael Byers: “To all those that are interested, if you have internet tv such as Roku. There is a new channel called “Red Road”. It is 100% indigenous movies, directors, and actors, producers, etc.“
Classes and Facebook Page News:
Ko’asek Drumming class: We are learning many songs thanks to Daniel Duhaime. Come join us! We not only sing but also have some lively conversations with laughter. Please email Chief Paul and a Zoom link will be sent. The group meets every Sunday at 1pm EST except on the Sunday of the Tribal Council meeting.
Members of Ko’asek (Co’wasuck) Traditional Band of the Sovereign Abenaki Nation Facebook Page: Facebook has made a change. Our Units section is now called Guides. We wil have all the original topics for learning on our Facebook Tribal Page! Under the Guides topic we have Language, Songs, History and the DNA Project.
Thank you all for posting songs and articles! I will be adding articles about different tribes each week. I will also include an ancient dna kit of that tribe if it is available. This will tie in with our Gedmatch Project and the Ko’asek Chatter House genealogy chat group.
We are still adding Gedmatch kit numbers to the Tribal DNA Project. It is private. No kits may be shared outside the group. This is a wonderful tool to help with genealogy and connect with others in the tribe.
For more information, please contact Candy Conner, Steven Wright or GiGi Brakeville.
Ko’asek Chatter House genealogy chat room. The new Facebook Chat group, which we have designated ‘Ko’asek Chatter House’ has been a lot of fun so far! We formed this chat group to share our heritage stories and find our common ancestors together as a family group. Family trees, family traditions, and even DNA markers, and how they connect us, are explored. Connecting with your people and your culture, involve a lot of different things. As you can guess by the name of the group, a range of topics from serious to quite silly get discussed in our circle; we greet each other each morning, and we ‘Chatter’ all through the day. Come join in if you like! Just drop me or one others in the chat a message, and we will plunk you right in amongst the ‘Chatterers’ ” – Steven – Agma Nosok 8wdi
Today’s Bio features tribal member Carol Godreau. Welcome Carol!
My name is Carol Godreau and I am a member of the Ko’asek Tribe of the Abenaki Nation.
My genealogy lines are from The Mayflower (Pilgrims) and The Ko’asek Tribe of the Abenaki Nation ( people of the Dawn) which I am so proud of both. My Pilgrim ancestors were George Soule, a teacher and an Indentured Servant who was a signer of the Mayflower Compact and James Chilton who was a tailor.
I am a mother of two, grandmother of three and many grandpets. I enjoy reading, music and the especially the arts. I feel blessed with talents from all my ancestors. Actually, after many years of researching my father’s blood lines I came across a book: “Aunt Sarah” Woman of The Dawnland by Trudy Ann Parker. Sarah was my aunt, a basket weaver and an Abenaki Healing Woman.
I try to create beauty every day. To my family, friends, those in need, those I have met for a season and posterity. One quilt, with a special group that focused on all Presidents, “Quilts Presidential and Patriotic” by Sue Reich published by Schiffer Publishing, these quilts have struck a fancy with the Smithsonian Institute.
I am knowledgeable in basket weaving, tatting, embroidering and some beading, knitting, crocheting, chair caning, rug hooking, rug punching, drawing, painting and quilting. My main love is applique’ quilts, the 1800’s era and Womens’ Studies.I have had one of my quilts in a Japanese quilt show, I have been juried into many National and International Quilt Shows, one quilt traveled for 3 years and another for 5 years across the United States. I am also published in a few books.”
Snow Moon and Snow Geese (Part 2)
(Adapted) from the Article: What the Abenaki People Called the Full Moon. The New England Historical Society by Steven Wright
Sometime around 1645, William Pynchon wrote down the names given to each full moon by a tribe of Abenaki Indians.
Pynchon, an English colonist, founded Springfield, Mass. He lived near and traded with Abenaki tribes. A fragment from his account book, probably written in late 1645, lists the names of the moons in an Abenaki dialect from a tribe he doesn’t specify. They may have been from the Agawams or the Woronocos, appears in this book;
English colonists would adopt the practice of naming each full moon, creating some of their own names or using traditional European names such as ‘Milk Moon’ or ‘Mother’s Moon’ The Maine Farmer’s Almanac started to publish a list of the full moon names around 1930, and the Old Farmer’s Almanac does it to this day.
Succotash Recipe
Melvia Hasman – Kin behanem “Brave Woman”
Succotash was introduced to the colonists in the 17th century by the Narragansett tribe. The name comes from the word “misickquatash” which refers to the stew made of sweet corn kernels, lima beans, and butternut squash, The Three Sisters. Source: History of Succotash.
I got this recipe years ago and have used it often. Not only is it delicious, but it is so easy to prepare
In a pot add the following:
- 2 cups of sweet corn kernels (frozen, canned or fresh)
- 2 cups of lima beans (frozen or canned -may substitute fava or broad beans)
- 1 cup of butternut squash (peeled and cubed – frozen or fresh)
- 1/2-1 cup of vegetable stock or water
- Simmer until the squash is tender and add salt to taste.
- Serve as a vegetable main dish. Today several variations include meat
My EARLY YEARS on the NATIVE road by Daniel Duhaime (Howling Wolf)
It’s been over a year since I joined the Ko asek band. There are many members I have not met yet and hope someday to at least get to know more than a handful.so I ,d like to share with you how I became involved with native ways. It was about 1984, age 25 that I came to a place in Nevada called META Tantay, I believe in Cherokee means to walk in peace. There I lived in a wikyup, a desert type of lodge and participated in a morning sunrise ceremony everyday, offering tobacco, prayers and a song to the morning sun and spirits. The man who made this native community was Rolling Thunder. It was several months later when his wife passed. A fire was lit for a purification ceremony which everyone participated in.
This place altered my understanding of life and nature and was a preparation for what I experienced in the next coming years after I moved to California where I was offered a place to live. Not much time passed and I was praying in a sweatlodge again .This time I met a man who was a teacher for me and many people, He was from the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota.
Later I learned he was living in Portland Oregon, Refugees from the poverty and alcohol were destroying their homeland. Never before did I think I would meet someone from there, He had great humor which captivated everyone and also a serious side when it came time to praying, When it was time to go in ,he would say, ‘don,t forget to bring your prayers.” ,I only had the chance to know him for five years but he taught me a lot. At the end of his journey I and many others, brought him back to his homeland where his ancestors were waiting for him, The next day we were at his final ceremony and in the cemetery. The sky turned red and the moon was full and red and the sun was red as it went down in the West, The next day we were invited to Greengrass South Dakota Which is part of the Cheyenne River reservation.
Every four years the sacred white Buffalo calf pipe is brought out for the people to pray with. I did in 1987.
Please email submissions by the 15th of each month for publishing. Also articles need to be between 100 and 120 words with 1 to 2 pictures. Quotes, pieces of history, bios, recipes and everything is welcome!
Please email submissions to: snoopy8u@yahoo.comOlwini,GiGiBemosa Spiwi – Walks with the Earth
Have you seen our new website? www.koasekabenakination.com
Our next Meeting is Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 1pm (Eastern Time). Come share your thoughts and ideas!!
this great thanks Dan