MARK PAZNIOKAS :: CTMIRROR.ORG
The statue of John Mason above the north steps of the Connecticut Capitol.
A commission responsible for the restoration and preservation of the state Capitol was asked Thursday to return a verdict: Is John Mason, a founder of the Connecticut Colony, guilty of a 17th Century war crime and unworthy of contemporary honor?
A marble statue of Mason stands in a niche high above the north steps of the Capitol, clutching a sword and gazing over Bushnell Park. To its right, a stone carving depicts the attack he led against a fortified Pequot village in 1637.
Historians say 400 Pequots were massacred, including 175 women and children, many burned to death when the village was set afire. English soldiers and Mohegan and Narragansett allies fired on those who fled the flames, eradication the goal.
“Under today’s standards, John Mason would be charged with war crimes and prosecuted accordingly,” said Rodney Butler, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequots. “I ask you: Is this a man who we should celebrate in this great state of Connecticut?”
Over two hours, historians, an anthropologist, members of the Mohegan, Eastern Pequot and Mashantucket Tribes and one descendant of Mason took turns talking about racism and erasure, the complexities and horrors of the Pequot War, and the opportunities and necessity of finding meaning in history. Some appeared by Zoom, others in person at the Legislative Office Building. Butler’s message came in a recorded video.
The state historian, Walter Woodward, recommended Mason remain in his niche, his presence an opportunity to teach visitors and remind the leaders who work in the Capitol about a bloody history that resonates through the centuries.
“As state historian,…
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