Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation

The Golden Hill Paugussett are a state-recognized tribe in Connecticut who are descendants of the historic Paugussett (also Paugusset) Nation of Native Americans; they historically occupied much of western Connecticut prior to the arrival of European colonists. They are among the five tribes recognized by the state. They have not succeeded in gaining federal recognition.

Present day

The 100-member tribe lives in Colchester, Connecticut, where it has a 106-acre (0.43 km²) reservation. It also has a ¹⁄₄-acre (0.0010 km²) reserve in the Nichols section of Trumbull, Connecticut.

In 2009, a state court dismissed a challenge to the tribe's status as Indians, refusing to eject members of the Golden Hill Paugussett Tribe and their chief from reservations in Trumbull and Colchester.

History

While the history of the Paugussett Nation began long before the European encounter, the early written records are European accounts. They are one of the numerous Algonquian-speaking nations who emerged in the coastal areas of the Atlantic. Historically, they occupied a region from present-day Norwalk to West Haven, and from Long Island Sound inland for as far as they could navigate by canoe on the Housatonic and Naugatuck rivers.