Some Connecticut Republicans oppose a move to have the state General Assembly condemn a colonial-era treaty that outlawed Pequot towns and settlements.
There’s no reason why lawmakers in 2025 should condemn colonial leader John Mason and the Hartford Treaty of 1638, said Republican Senator Rob Sampson at a public hearing of the General Administration and Elections Committee on Friday.
“There are many people that I’m reading online that say John Mason saved the Connecticut colony because the Pequots were attacking innocent colonists,” he said.
The brutal colonial massacre of the Pequots must be acknowledged, said Democratic Senator Cathy Osten, the sponsor of the resolution.
“The treaty prohibited the tribes from returning their cultural lands, abolished the use of their tribal names, and, in addition, the remaining members of the Pequot tribe were sold into inhumane and immoral practices of slavery,” Osten said.
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation also backs the Senate Joint Resolution 16.
“SJ 16 is an important acknowledgment of the painful past and a powerful recognition of the dignity and survival of the Pequot people,” said Latoya Cluff, the nation’s vice chair.
The lawmakers said they expect to continue the debate on the Senate floor.
