© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Proposal to rename the Thames River sparks debate among Connecticut tribes

An aerial view of the Thames River in Uncasville, Conn near the Mohegan-Pequot Bridge on October 28, 2022.
Ryan Caron King
/
Connecticut Public
An aerial view of the Thames River in Uncasville, Conn near the Mohegan-Pequot Bridge on October 28, 2022.

A new proposal to rename the Thames River to the Pequot River has sparked debate among Connecticut tribes. While the Mashantucket Pequot and Eastern Pequot tribes are in full support of the proposal, the Mohegan Tribe voiced their concerns.

Mohegan council chairman Charlie Strickland issued a statement to the legislature's Transportation Committee in opposition to the proposed House Bill 5503.

“We understand the intent of this legislation, and appreciate that members of the General Assembly are attempting to correct a perceived historical wrong,” Strickland wrote. “However, the river — which the Mohegan Tribe has historically called the Massapequotuck — runs adjacent to our homeland. It has been the lifeblood of our tribe for centuries”

He said the river has had many names throughout its history including both Mohegan and Pequot. Strickland wants to meet with the Mashantucket Pequot tribe to discuss and agree on a traditional name that is respectful to both tribes.

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribe has agreed to open a dialogue with the Mohegans, but stand strong in their support of the Pequot name. State lawmakers say that for the bill to move forward the tribes have to agree.

Mashantucket chairman Rodney Butler said that restoring the name to the Pequot River is not about any one tribe, but all of Connecticut's tribes, which are historically related under the Pequot name.

“We were all Pequot, Mohegans were Pequot,” he said. “As well as many other villages that were throughout the region as this was Pequot country. And so the river, no different than the Connecticut river being in Connecticut, symbolized that it was in Pequot country.”

Butler said that 17th century records refer to the river as Pequot before the English renamed it Thames. He said the proposal to restore the name to Pequot is critical to help “recognize history for what it was.”

Maria Lynders is a former news fellow at WSHU.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

Related Content