Month: November 2021

Munsee

How plague reshaped colonial New England before the Mayflower even arrived

Post author By jeff
Post date November 25, 2021
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The Europeans who began colonising North America in the early 17th century steadfastly believed that God communicated his wrath through plague. They brought this conviction with them – as well as deadly disease itself.

Plague brought by early European settlers decimated Indigenous populations during an epidemic in 1616-19 in what is now southern New England. Upwards of 90% of the Indigenous population died in the years leading up to the arrival of the Mayflower in November 1620.

It’s still unclear what the disease behind the epidemic actually was. But this was the first of many plagues that swept through Algonquian territory – Algonquian being the linguistic term used to describe an array of Indigenous peoples stretching, among other places, along the northeastern seaboard of what is now the US.

The 1620 Charter of New England, given by King James I, mentioned this epidemic as a reason why God “in his great goodness and bountie towards us and our people gave the land to Englishmen”. Plague supported property rights – it informed the back story of Plymouth Colony that was founded after the arrival of the Mayflower.

The English believed God communicated through plague. But my research argues that declaring “God willed the plague” simply opened, rather than closed, the debate. Rulers, explorers and colonists in the 17th century had an interest in pinpointing the cause of disease. This was partly because plague was used to procure land deemed as empty, and even clear it of inhabitants.

Justification for entering the land

Many colonists described New England as an “Eden”. But in 1632 the early colonist Thomas Morton said the epidemic of 1616-19 had rendered it “a new found Golgotha” – the skull-shaped hill in Jerusalem described in the Bible as the place of Christ’s death. Most pilgrims and puritans viewed plague as…

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Mohegan

Norwich food pantry, Mohegans give out hundreds of free turkeys ahead of Thanksgiving

Post author By jeff
Post date November 25, 2021
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NORWICH – More than 20 people waited outside the St. Vincent de Paul Place food pantry before 9 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Director Jill Corbin said items are readily available to the more than 2,000 families registered with the food pantry. Ahead of Thanksgiving, that generosity includes more than 700 frozen turkeys.

Behind the building, members of the Mohegan Tribal Council stood by a pallet of 100 frozen birds donated to the cause. A day earlier, the Mohegan Tribal Council of Elders had dropped off 100 more.

“The holidays are a special time for everybody,” said Tribal Council Chair James Gessner. “Especially during these times where COVID and everything that has been happening – it’s been tough on people so whatever we can do to help our community.”

Volunteers Martha Murphy of Stonington, left, and Joe Pelliccio of Norwich bag a frozen turkey Wednesday for patrons at St. Vincent de Paul Place in Norwich. In background is volunteer John Drozd of Ledyard.

The tribe’s practice of helping Norwich and surrounding communities over the holidays goes back nearly two decades, according to Mohegan Tribe Chief of Staff Charles Bunnell, and the turkeys delivered by the Mohegans Wednesday are among more than 1,000 purchased for donation in recent weeks.

In addition to Norwich, Bunnell said deliveries would also be made in New London, Montville, and Waterford.

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Unami

UN envoy warns of precarious post-electoral situation in Iraq

Post author By jeff
Post date November 25, 2021
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Home » International » UN envoy warns of precarious post-electoral situation in Iraq

United Nations, Nov 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the top UN envoy for Iraq, has warned against a precarious post-electoral situation in the country and called for early government formation.

“Plainly speaking, Iraq’s current outlook is precarious — to say the least. And in the absence of genuine reforms, the situation will not get any better. On the contrary (it will become),” she told the Security Council in a briefing via video link on Monday.

Last month’s elections were assessed as generally peaceful, well-run, featuring significant technical and procedural improvements, said Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN Secretary-General’s special representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq.

She also noted that the elections were hard-earned as they emerged from an unprecedented wave of country-wide demonstrations in 2019 that resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries.

After the October elections, parties rejecting the electoral results began demonstrations and sit-ins, which escalated on November 5, with casualties reported in Baghdad. In the early hours of November 7, an assassination attempt on Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi took place.

Hennis-Plasschaert said that she has witnessed a severe lack of trust between parties, between parties and institutions, between parties and authorities in recent weeks, in addition to the long-standing lack of public trust in both politicians and institutions.

“Now, that is not without risk, as mistrust often leads to escalation. Hence, our consistent calls for political dialogue to prevail. And again, any outstanding electoral concerns must only be dealt with through established legal channels, in accordance with the law. There is no point in using others as a scapegoat for electoral grievances,”…

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Nanticoke

A bigger home for the Nanticoke on ancestral land in Sussex County

Post author By jeff
Post date November 25, 2021
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A 31-acre cornfield on the edge of Millsboro doesn’t look very different from any other piece of Delaware farmland but its transfer to the Nanticoke tribe is a historic step that for the first time gives the community ownership of an ancestral parcel that was privately owned for generations.

The tribe took ownership of the land in October after it was purchased by The Conservation Fund, a land-preservation nonprofit, and then donated to the community. The land was seen as part of the tribe’s heritage because its previous owners have Nanticoke ancestors but it has never before been owned by the community.

Now that the Delaware-based tribe is the official owner, it has high hopes of turning the parcel into a place where native American culture can thrive, and where members of the community can strengthen ties with each other.

Jon Hurdle

Nanticoke Chief Natosha Norwood Carmine

“This is a huge event for the tribe,” said Chief Natosha Norwood Carmine, the first female chief of the tribe, that has about 700 members in Delaware, and around 2,000 nationwide. “It will help us have a bigger, stronger community because we will have a place to gather. Our stories are oral stories, passed down from generation to generation. So our elders will be able to answer questions about what this property was when they were growing up.”

In an interview with Delaware Public Media at the edge of the land, Carmine said she hopes to use part of it to build a pavilion where cultural events such as dancing and perhaps powwows can be held. She’s also looking to build a right of way on the property so that community members can park their cars away from the busy traffic of Route 24….

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Munsee

Daughters of the American Revolution hear story of Pocahontas

Post author By jeff
Post date November 24, 2021
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Nov. 23—The Daniel McMahon Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution held its November meeting at the Athens Country Club, with Regent Susan Barkley presiding. Special guests were welcomed, including program speaker Kristie Campbell and her mother, Susan Byram from Klein. Also welcomed was Alex Hill, daughter of chapter member Sharla Hill and granddaughter of chapter member Nancy Smith.

Kristie Campbell presented the program, “Pocahontas, The Real Story.” Everyone knows the story of the “Indian Princess” who saved John Smith’s life in the early days of this country. Much has been written about Pocahontas, and there are a host of movies that bear her name. Pocahontas was not her real name and as we also learned, she may or may not have saved the life of John Smith. Kristie presented enlightening information and helped separate the truth from myth regarding this famous Native American. Kristie is a member of the San Jacinto Chapter, NSDAR, in Tomball. She is a past regent of her chapter and an active community volunteer for many organizations.

Karen Stanley, Jan Boyles, Sue McCown, Carol Webster, Marie Hickman, Mamie Stafford and Susan Barkley represented the chapter at Athens Arboretum for the Veterans Day Ceremony. The chapter provided a wreath for the ceremony, and Marie and David Hickman donated patriotic flag pins that were presented to the veterans.

Chapter members gathered donations for Corsicana Troop Support Angels’ holiday gift boxes that are mailed to active duty troops. Additionally, chapter members Nancy Smith and Betty Hollowell met a special request by the Angels, to sew adult “bibs” for veterans in area nursing homes.

Chapter member and Wreaths Across America liaison, Lynne Stultz brought information for this year’s Wreaths Across America Day on Dec. 18. The mission of WAA is to Remember, Honor, and Teach by coordinating wreath laying ceremonies at cemeteries…

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Mohegan

Peekskill killer gets maximum sentence for fatal shooting of Mohegan Lake father of four

Post author By jeff
Post date November 24, 2021
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A Peekskill man who fatally shot a man he had set up for a robbery was sentenced Thursday to 25 years to life in state prison.

Michael Jenkins, 22, got the maximum sentence for second-degree murder from state Supreme Court Judge Robert Neary after hearing the victim’s mother describe him as a “depraved human and heathen.”

Jenkins fatally shot Emmanuel Jordan in the victim’s car on Paulding Street in Peekskill on May 8, 2020. The two did not know each other but Jenkins had found Jordan on the internet and set up a meeting to buy painkillers from him.

The shooting occurred at about 6 p.m. but police did not discover his body until about nine hours later.

Immediately after the shooting, Jenkins cleared his links to Jordan from social media and let people know he had Percocet pills to sell.

“To Michael Jenkins it was business as usual,” Assistant District Attorney Laura Murphy told Neary.

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In asking for the maximum, Murphy argued that Jenkins had not learned from his previous crimes. Those included an attempted robbery in 2017 and an incident in 2015 when he took someone’s basketball and stabbed him when the person tried to get it back.

Jordan, 27, of Mohegan Lake, had four children. His mother, Barbara Jordan, told Neary she is “repulsed and enraged” by Jenkins and remains traumatized by the killing, with trouble sleeping and flashbacks of the detective’s call that woke her up that morning.

She described Jordan as a good son and father, always willing to help others, and said that she misses his hugs, phone calls, smile and laughter.

“I’m proud of him and proud to say he did not have malice in his heart,” she…

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Unami

Vietnam backs efforts to support Iraq in addressing challenges | World

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Post date November 24, 2021
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A military roadblock near the green zone in Baghdad, Iraq. (Photo: AFP) New York (VNA) – Vietnam voiced support for provision of assistance to Iraq in addressing current challenges in the war-torn country during a UN Security Council meeting on November 23.

Discussing the situation in Iraq, the meeting was attended by Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

Speaking at the event, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, congratulated the Government of Iraq and Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) on the well-managed elections held last month and highly spoke of the UNAMI and international organisations for backing Iraq and the IHEC in the polls.

He also reiterated his support for the UNAMI and UN staff operating in the country.

Quy expressed his concern over terrorist attacks in Iraq over the last few months, particularly a failed assassination attempt against the Iraqi Prime Minister, saying Vietnam strongly condemns all forms of terrorism. He called on all stakeholders to address concerns through existing legal processes and facilitate the promotion of national unity, and constructive and peaceful dialogue.

The diplomat also appreciated the diplomatic efforts made by the Government of Iraq and how it has demonstrated a strong role in regional peace and security issues, particularly the organisation of the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership in August 2021.

He further welcomed cooperation between the Governments of Iraq and Kuwait in searching for Kuwaiti and citizens of third countries going missing in Iraq with the help from the UNAMI and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)./.

VNA

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Nanticoke

John Norman Opachinski

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Delaware Tribe

ESU senior project explores connections between university and Lenape

Post author By jeff
Post date November 24, 2021
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East Stroudsburg University | Special to Pocono Record

An East Stroudsburg University honors program student is using modern technology to educate others about an ancient culture in a new exhibit.

Emily Serpico, a senior history and communication double major who is also pursuing a business writing certificate, utilized 3D technology to replicate several artifacts from Greene Dreher Historical Society for her honors thesis project, currently on display in Stroud Hall. The exhibit, Living Legacies: Community Connections, is the result of several months of work in which Serpico teamed up with Susan Bachor, Delaware Tribe Historic Preservation Office and ESU instructor of history and geography; Darlene Farris-LaBar, ESU professor and chair of art + design; and students such as art + design major, James Holloway, by lending various areas of expertise, including 3D scanning and 3D printing.

The exhibit allowed Serpico to apply her various skill sets and take a hands-on approach to her studies. She honed her cataloguing and researching skills during her internship with Bachor last summer, and she currently works at the Schisler Museum of Wildlife and Natural History and McMunn Planetarium. Her supervisor at the museum, Cathy Klingler, did some consulting work on the project. “It came together pretty naturally,” Serpico said.

The exhibit timeline was aggressive, according to Bachor: “The initial brainchild happened in the spring. We wanted to have what Emily was already doing incorporated into her thesis so it wasn’t overwhelming. She ended up designing this project and exhibit. It took about 8-9 months, which is a short time for an exhibit. That’s a very demanding timeline that Emily held to. November is Indigenous People’s Month and we had the Assistant Chief visit us on campus, and this helped us stick to the timeline.”

Serpico’s exhibit includes replicated projectile points, a Delaware blanket, buckskin pelts, a map, and a collection of minerals. Many of…