Description
The Quinnipiac were a historical Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. They lived in present-day New Haven County, Connecticut, along the Quinnipiac River. Their primary village, also called Quinnipiac, was where New Haven, Connecticut is today. The Quinnipiac name translates as "Long-water people." he Puritans established the first Indian Reservation in 1638. Located near New Haven, Connecticut, the reserve was for the Quinnipiac, but only included 1,200 acres, a small portion of their original territory. The reservation's residents, described as "free" Indians, were placed under the authority of an English agent. They were not allowed to sell or abandon that land, and Native peoples from other tribes were not allowed to visit.
Language
Quiripi
Culture
The Quinnipiacs believed that one deity, named Keihtan, created the heaven and earth, all animals, people and the spirits contained within. Each band had it’s own leader, called a sachem, who worked together to keep their bands alive and in peace. The Quinnipiacs also taught the settlers how to hunt, trap animals and fish. The Quinnipiacs were more adept at farming, the colonists became dependent on the Quinnipiacs to supply food, which was traded for metal goods, clothing and alcohol from the English. The leaders of the tribes were mainly hunters and trappers, using bows and arrows, spears, clubs, stones, or traps to trap fur animals. They sold animal skins to traders from the east.