The Mohicans: Past and Present
When we finished the book the Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper, most of us will wonder that can the Mohicans tribe still thriving when Chingachgook was the last one? That pushed me to do research about Mohicans and I found that they are still in existed. How amazing that the Mohicans people, today are known as Stockbridge-Munsee, is living in Bowler, Wisconsin. Their name meaning is “from the waters that are never still” (Stockbridge Indian Massacre par. #2) from the word Muheconneok. The Mohicans tribe have a lot of fantastic things to get to know, such as their culture, descendants, and lifestyle. Let’s take a trip to more understand about the Mohican people today.
First of all, I would like to introduce about the most amazing thing we would to know about them is the Mohican culture. After the Mohican tribe helped the British in the Indian and French Wars, the Mohican people were reduced from 1782 to 138 and they merged to Oneida people (Mahican-Native Americans of the Northeast Woodlands, par. #3). In the early 21st century, they estimate there are approximately 3,500 Mohican descendants (Mohican People, par. #4). In the Mohican tribe, their leader had a strong political sachem. The leader will be supported by a tribal council to run the tribe. To make their religions accepted by the Christians live among them, they had to fight to have their right in their worship.
The next interesting thing about the Mohican people is their descendants. In the past, the Mohican people spoke Mohican language, but it does not continue today. Now they all speak English. The last Mohican Indians person could speak their own language was around 1933. The Mohican Indian kids in the past did not have a lot of chores and played less, but now, their children go to school, helping around their parents, and play as every child in the world. The Mohican women can do what they desire nowadays, but in the past, they had to stay at home, work on farm, take care their kids, and support for the Mohican men that went to hunt or war.
Three members of the Stockbridge-Munsee Tribal Council
The last amazing thing about Mohican people is the changing in their lifestyle. “The Mohicans did not live in tepees. They lived in small round houses called wigwams. Some Mohicans built rectangular lodges instead” (Mohican Indian Fact Sheet, par. #10). Most Mohicans do not live in that wigwams anymore. They live in apartment or house like us. Sometimes the Native Americans built wigwams not for living, but for connecting with their heritage. They hunted and farmed for living in the past, but now they can work in most of work fields. They made their own tools for hunting and farming form wood. Their clothing were made from finely tanned animal skins. They painted their face, women wore skirts, and men wore breechclouts. Mohican people used canoe to travel along the Hudson River and dogs as pack animals.
The Mohican tribes fortified villages
In conclusion, Mohican people have amazing history. They have changed and adapted very well. Mohicans culture, descendants, and lifestyle are three of the things makes their stories more interesting. It is so great to discover about one of the most famous tribes in Native American Indians. When we know more about them, we can feel their spirit and culture. Mohican people have their own stories and they are proud of that. Mohicans’ spirit still stay strong in Mohican descendants today. That helps them move up and become stronger and stronger day by day.
