Contrary to the fictional account of James Fenimore Cooper, the
Mohegan/Mohican nation did not vanish with the death of Chief Uncas more
than three hundred years ago. In the remarkable life story of one of its
most beloved matriarchs--100-year-old medicine woman Gladys
Tantaquidgeon--Medicine Trail tells of the Mohegans' survival into
this century.
Blending autobiography and history, with traditional knowledge and ways
of life, Medicine Trail presents a collage of events in
Tantaquidgeon's life. We see her childhood spent learning Mohegan
ceremonies and healing methods at the hands of her tribal grandmothers,
and her Ivy League education and career in the white male-dominated
field of anthropology. We also witness her travels to other Indian
communities, acting as both an ambassador of her own tribe and an
employee of the federal government's Bureau of Indian Affairs. Finally
we see Tantaquidgeon's return to her beloved Mohegan Hill, where she
cofounded America's oldest Indian-run museum, carrying on her life's
commitment to good medicine and the cultural continuance and renewal of
all Indian nations.
Written in the Mohegan oral tradition, this book offers a unique
insider's understanding of Mohegan and other Native American cultures
while discussing the major policies and trends that have affected people
throughout Indian Country in the twentieth century. A significant
departure from traditional anthropological "as told to" American Indian
autobiography, Medicine Trail represents a major contribution to
anthropology, history, theology, women's studies, and Native American
studies.
