Tag: Munsee

Disney’s Pocahontas was based on true story of the daughter of Powhatan, the paramount chief of the Powhatan Confederacy, a group of Algonquian-speaking tribes in Virginia. (Disney)

Disney‘s animated classic Pocahontas captivated audiences with its stunning visuals and memorable music when it was released in 1995.

With a budget of $55m, the film — directed by Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg — grossed more than $346m worldwide, and was widely praised by critics as another musical hit for the animation studio.

Read more: How Disney first began

Based on the story a real historical figure who played a pivotal role in early US history — Disney’s Pocahontas was voiced by Irene Bedard, while her singing voice was provided by singer Judy Kuhn.

Her real-life counterpart’s life was marked by her desire to fight for her people’s rights, her acceptance of Christianity, and a new life that saw her adopt a new Anglicised name and start a family.

Here we take a look at who the real Pocahontas was, a story of heartbreak and resilience.

Matoaka, daughter of a chief

A painting of Pocahontas by Simon van de Passe. (National Portrait Gallery)

Pocahontas was born in 1596 in the Tidewater region of present-day Virginia and was originally named Amonute but also known as Matoaka, meaning ‘lower between two streams’.

She was the daughter of Powhatan, the paramount chief of the Powhatan Confederacy, a group of Algonquian-speaking tribes in Virginia.

Her nickname, Pocahontas, meant”playful one” or “mischievous one”.

In 1607, English settlers established Jamestown, Virginia, which is when Pocahontas first came into contact with them.

Were John Smith and Pocahontas lovers?

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Officially, the holiday shopping season doesn’t start for over a month, but Microsoft isn’t wasting any time launching its big fall/holiday marketing campaign for its Xbox game console.

Xbox Wire states that the new campaign has the tagline “Power Your Dreams”. Microsoft has already posted a new three minute long live action commercial to jump-start the campaign. It will be shown during the NFL Thursday Night Football game on Amazon Prime Video later tonight and will be shown globally through the holiday season.

The commercial itself is called Wake Up and Dream, and shows a young gamer dreaming about going to video game worlds like the ones in Starfield, Forza Motorsport, and even a third-party game, Cyberpunk 2077.

The most interesting world the main character enters is from a game that won’t actually be released this year. The gamer imagines she is in the world of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II from developer Ninja Theory. That game won’t be released until sometime in 2024.

Josh Munsee, the Director of Microsoft’s Xbox Integrated Marketing team, offered up some behind-the-scenes tidbits of the Wake Up and Dream commercial on his X (formerly Twitter) account. For example, when the young gamer sees Senua in that part of the clip, Munsee says that the character is played by the actor who voices and does her motion capture work in Hellblade II, Melina Juergens.

Munsee also states that the cinematographer for the commercial is Matty Libatique, who has a ton of feature film credits including, but not limited to, Iron Man 1 and 2, Venom, and the upcoming Maestro.

Finally, some people have speculated that the order of the…

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Tribal Historic Preservation Office, Native American Indigenous Student Alliance host Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration – The Williams Record Continue reading

It’s a difficult name to pronounce. You must have never heard anything like this before. So, allow us to introduce you to a 45-letter name location that will astound you.

What is actually the name of the lake?

The lake is called Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. You may be wondering if there is a technical problem or if I simply fell asleep on my keyboard, but there isn’t. The 45-letter name of one of the most beautiful lakes there is. 

Where is the lake?

Lake Char­gogg­a­gogg­man­chaugg­a­gogg­chau­bun­a­gung­a­maugg in the town of Webster, Massachusetts, has the longest name of any geographic feature in all of the United States with 45 letters comprising 14 syllables pic.twitter.com/uunE6C00hw

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) October 11, 2023

The lake, located in Webster, Massachusetts, often known as Webster Lake to locals, has long drawn attention for being the longest name among geographic features in the United States, with 14 syllables.

When was the lake formed?

The lake, formed by glaciers thousands of years ago, is three miles long and is made up of three ponds connected by connecting channels. Furthermore, Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg is Massachusetts’ third-biggest freshwater body of water, with eight islands, two of which are quite small and unsuitable for settlement.

Why is the lake named so?

The name derived from the Nipmuc language, which is the native language of the region. The name means “You fish on your side, I fish on my side, nobody fishes in the middle.” This is thought to be a reference to a fishing agreement between the Nipmuc people and the Algonquian… pic.twitter.com/tNgZCNT9ug

— Moe (@momoe889) October 11, 2023

Locals are proud of their past, as the Nipmuc people were the first known occupants of the area. The name comes from the Algonquin language of…

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Herberg students across several classes worked on getting the plaque acknowledging the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohicans as a civics project.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Herberg Middle School students have collaborated to honor the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohicans in a long-lasting way.

Last week, a land acknowledgment plaque was installed on the school just in time for Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The effort stemmed from an eighth-grade civics project and has spanned over a couple of years.

“When students are exposed to unjust history they really want to contribute to reparations.  Additionally, our middle schoolers are civically minded and looking for opportunities to be involved in our local community,” social studies teacher Jen Jaehnig said.

“Last year they collected money for Damar Hamlin’s charitable cause and our local first responders. We look forward to seeing what other causes they want to support in the future.”

About two years ago, a group of about 20 students started on the project while fulfilling a state-required civics project, or “good citizenship hours,” which focuses on the environment, government or social needs. Others have joined in the effort over the last couple of years.

There had been conversations about the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohicans, native to the area, and about the renaming of Taconic High School’s mascot. Last year, the Taconic Braves were renamed Taconic Thunder.

Jaehnig asked an educator from the tribe what would be the best civil action and was told that a land acknowledgment would be favorable. Reportedly, when members of the tribe return to visit their homeland, they don’t see many acknowledgment signs.

The group favored the suggestion and they ran with it, beginning fundraising efforts with a movie night.  They also wrote to the tribe in Wisconsin for approval of the land acknowledgment wording.

It reads:

“We are all on the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohicans Native American Land. We acknowledge that we…

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The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center presents Jake Heggie’s ‘Dead Man Walking’, premiering live broadcasted in HD from the Met

Great Barrington— On Saturday, October 21st at 1 p.m., the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center presents Jake Heggie’s “Dead Man Walking”, premiering live broadcasted in HD from the Met. 

Jake Heggie’s powerful work has its highly anticipated Met premiere in a new production by Ivo van Hove. Based on Sister Helen Prejean’s memoir about her fight for the soul of a condemned murderer, “Dead Man Walking” matches the high drama of its subject with Heggie’s poignant music and a libretto by Tony and Emmy Award–winner Terrence McNally. 

Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes the podium, with mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato starring as Sister Helen. The cast also features bass-baritone Ryan McKinny as the death-row inmate Joseph De Rocher, soprano Latonia Moore as Sister Rose, and mezzo-soprano Susan Graham (who sang Helen Prejean in the opera’s 2000 premiere) as De Rocher’s mother.

The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center presents ‘Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking’.

The broadcast is on Saturday, October 21st at 1 p.m. at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center on Castle Street in Great Barrington. Tickets are $25 and $10 for youth age 21 and under. ConnectorCare/WIC/EBT cards are accepted; four free tickets to movies or HD broadcasts per individual.  Content Advisory: Dead Man Walking contains a depiction of a rape and murder, as well as other adult themes and strong language. Tickets and more information can be found online. 

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Stockbridge-Munsee Community presents Indigenous People’s Day workshop at the Mission House Museum

Williamstown— On Monday, October 9th (Indigenous Peoples’ Day) at 11 a.m., to honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the Stockbridge-Munsee Community’s Tribal Historic Preservation Office presents “Healing Within the Community,” a workshop led by Kim Hoffman, a descendant…

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Chaplains’ Corner: Spiritual richness and sharing our gifts with others – The Williams Record Continue reading

Chris Allen Munsee, 71, of Hare Creek Road, Corry, Pa., died Thursday, Sep. 21, 2023, at his residence.

He was born May 19, 1952, in Union City, Pa., a son of the late Howard and Viola “Mickey” (Pfister) Munsee.

Chris was raised and educated in Corry and graduated from Corry Area High School in 1971. After high school, he worked for Munsee Excavating for many years as an equipment operator and was known for his bulldozing work. In 1996, Chris began working with his son at Cam Tire where he was a manager. He also worked at Munsee’s Market as a produce buyer. Chris was still working with his family until his passing.

He was a member of St. Thomas the Apostle Church. He enjoyed hunting but mostly loved being with his family and grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, Chris was preceded in death by two brothers, Harold “Harry” and Gary Munsee.

Chris is survived by his wife, Barbara (Durlin) Munsee, whom he married Oct. 9, 1971, in Corry, PA; two daughters, Brenda Whitalker and her husband Dan and Carrie Street; son, Curt Munsee and his wife Gretchen all of Corry, Pa.; three sisters, Zela Munsee of Corry, Pa., Susan Dininny of Canton, N.C. and Annette Harmon and her husband Alan of Wellsboro, Pa.; and two sisters-in-law, Sylvia Munsee and Lucinda Munsee, both of Corry, Pa.

He is also survived by 13 grandchildren, Amanda (Hunter), Nick, Kaylee (Mason), Abigail, Matthew, Jonathan, Emily, Olivia, Alexa, Gavin, Claire, Adalyn and Annelise; five great-grandchildren, Liam, Kinley, Miles, Boone and Owen; and many nieces and nephews.

Services will be held privately by the family.

Arrangements are under the care of Bracken Funeral Home, Inc., 315 N. Center St., Corry, PA 16407.

To sign the guest book…

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EGREMONT, Mass.— Celebrating local biodiversity during a time of unprecedented global biodiversity loss, the 14th Annual Berkshire Biodiversity Day (also known as Berkshire BioBlitz) welcomes community members of all ages to join biologists, naturalists, and environmentalists to identify as many plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms as possible during a 24-hour period. 

The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place from noon on Saturday, Sept. 23, to noon on Sunday, Sept. 24, at Greenagers’ April Hill Education and Conservation Center, 62 N Undermountain Rd, South Egremont. Participants may take part at any time during this period to record a survey of their findings and experience first-hand the importance of a healthy, active ecosystem in their community. 

This year’s program will have guided walks, presentations, and demonstrations led by experts. Presentation topics include: leaf-mining insects from Charley Eiseman, fungi and mushrooms from John Wheeler, and arachnids from Joseph Warfel. Aliza Fassler will present about native bees and lead a wild bee walk. Professor Tom Tyning will lead an amphibian and reptile walk that will involve checking under cover boards—a common surveying method used by herpetologists. Rene Wendell from Hoffmann Bird Club will lead an owl prowl and early morning bird walk, and Ben Nickley of Berkshire Bird Observatory will also conduct a bird banding demo. 

This year’s event is organized by Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) and Nature Academy of the Berkshires. It’s co-sponsored by Greenagers, Hoffmann Bird Club, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Panera, Nature Academy of the Berkshires, and BEAT. 

Biological surveys and expert-led walks will be conducted in Bow Wow Woods—a 50-acre parcel of land just off Rte 41 on Bow Wow Rd—which was recently acquired by…

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