I was featured in the Wiquapaug Eastern Pequot News Letter ~
WIQUAPAUG EASTERN PEQUOT NEWS LETTER – THE “SUN RISE”
SEPTEMBER 2011 VOL. 13 – NO. 3 Keith Brown invited Coni Dubois and her family to the Tribal Gathering. Coni drove here from Louisiana & the Hawkins family drove from Indiana. (Veronica & Shane Hawkins with their 2 boys and friend) Coni took many videos of the dances that were performed and posted them on her websites. She posted that her favorite dance was the Blanket Dance. You can view her blog at: https://conidubois.wordpress.com/ All her videos from her trips along with the Wiquapaug dances can be found at: https://conidubois.wordpress.com/videos/ Coni enjoyed learning about the culture of her ancestors and expressed what an honor it was for her to have been invited to the Tribal Gathering and to be invited into the Welcoming Circle. She has been researching her family genealogy for the past 18 years and has traced her ancestry back to the Algonquian, Mohegan, Pequot and Narragansett tribes. Her main research focus is on James Chagum a Long Island Native American that married a Narragansett, along with his descendants that settled in Barkhamsted, CT. Coni just recently took part in a ceremony for the unveiling of the Lighthouse Trail on Ragged Mountain in Barkhamsted CT on Sept 15th along with a unveiling June 26th, 2011 on Block Island RI for the Ancestral/Descendant Stone for the the Native Americans that once lived on the island (Manissean Indians along with Narragansett.) Coni’s Blog gives the following insights on her background: I’ve been a family genealogist for 18+ years and have traced over 17,000 people for my family tree (Mother & Father’s sides) – I’m the head Genealogist for the Barkhamsted Lighthouse Native American Tribe in Barkhamsted Connecticut and a true descendant of the Chagum / Barber line~ I’m working closely with several Archaeologist, Historians, Historical Societies, genealogist, family member’s and Author’s on the Chagum’s and the Grand Sachems of the New England Indians – I will be blogging about my research and the paths I’ve had to follow – I have traveled extensively to NY, CT, RI and of course Block Island in my quest to trace my Ancestor’s – the Chagum bloodline has been shed in several Wars – We have them put into servitude and slavery Block Island – There are two ponds named after them on Block Island –Sachem/Chagum Pond & Lil Choggin Pond – in the late 1700′s the story continues to James Chagum (2nd) who is Chief of the Barkhamsted Lighthouse Village to early 1800′s~ I can go on and on – have thousands of documents to back up this research – Now I’m ready to tell the wonderful story – I’ve got the bases done on this line now it’s time to fill in the blanks and and connect the Ever Widening Circle of families~ “I’m not much of a writer – but great at researching – so excuse any mistakes” Coni (Allen) Dubois~.”
