Reservation Subsistence: A Comparative Paleoethnobotanical Analysis of a Mashantucket Pequot and Euro-American Household

Abstract

In southeastern Connecticut in the 19th century, many Native Americans resided on reservations in close proximity to European American communities. The Mashantucket Pequot, who lived on a governmentcontrolled reservation during this period, and their European American neighbors both utilized forestland resources in their subsistence strategies. This article explores the subsistence strategies of both groups and interprets the importance of the reservation to indigenous-identity maintenance.