Who we are

 We are Schaghticoke women.

We are available as a resource for education, consulting, speaking engagements, panels, and events related to Indigenous issues.

We dedicate our work to our founding members who have passed on, and whose life work and spirit continue to guide us:
Trudie Lamb-Richmond
Claudette Bradley-Engblom, Ed.D
Johnette "Peggy" LaConte

  • Wunneanatsu Lamb-Cason is an educator, advocate, and published author who has been a voice for social, cultural, and educational equity for more than 20 years. She has led workshops and provided professional development in school districts and universities nationwide. Wunneanatsu understands the significance of accurate diverse histories in our classrooms and aims to use her personal and professional experience to assist others in developing an effective culturally proficient, trauma-informed teaching style.

    Currently serving as the Assistant Director of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Initiative at Brown University, Wunneanatsu lives in New England with her husband and 5 children.

  • Darlene Kascak is the Education Director at The Institute for American Indian Studies Museum in Washington, CT. Her experience developing and facilitating curriculum-based Educational Programs for K-12 students and Teacher Training Workshops has taught her the importance of educating both young and old about the many misconceptions and stereotypes about her ancestors, allowing for a new understanding of Connecticut Indigenous Peoples’ lives both in the past and the present. Darlene is also a Native American Storyteller and has worked with The Dawnland Storytelling Festival, the New Haven International Festival of Arts and Ideas, and hundreds of private performances. She is most proud of her collaboration with the Pilobolus International Dance Company on a dance piece called “The Ballad” which now shares her stories and their lessons worldwide.

  • A descendant of the Harris family line, Ruth has been active in the statewide and national Native scene since she was a teen. She was elected to the tribal council and served as the tribe’s treasurer when she was in high school, kindling her interest in advocacy and politics.

    Ruth’s published works include a chapter about the Schaghticoke quest for federal acknowledgment in Recognition, Sovereignty Struggles and Indigenous Rights in the U.S. and a co-edited (with Trudie Lamb Richmond) section of writings by Schaghticoke people in Dawnland Voices.

    Ruth served on the Connecticut Native American Heritage Advisory Council, and the Harvard University Native American Alumni Board of Directors and was a trustee for the Institute of American Indian Studies. She is a 20-year member of the National Congress of American Indians, serving on the Federal Acknowledgement Task Force and the Elections Committee.

    In addition to her tribal governance interest and experience, Ruth has worked in state and municipal government and earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Harvard University.

  • An enrolled member of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, Holly also worked for STN for 7 years assisting the chief and legal counsel with the petition for federal recognition. She served as a researcher, committee member for events such as the annual Winter Solstice, and Chair of the preservation committee for STN.

    She has nearly two decades of experience managing federal and state grants and administrative databases, including the Federal Acknowledgement Information Resource (FAIR) system. Holly finds it rewarding to provide spiritual education through native practices.

  • Erin is an enrolled citizen of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation. Having served as council member for 15 years, she worked tirelessly to protect the rights of the tribal membership and strengthen relationships with the other Native people in Connecticut and beyond. Erin is an accomplished dancer, artist, and speaker who has been featured in Dawnland Voices.

  • Wunneonatsu, a registered Schaghticoke tribal member and Cogswell descendant, brings her skills as Editor-in-chief of her yearbook to her role as SWTC webmaster. Since childhood, she has been passionately interested in the literature and histories of Indigenous people, especially stories of residential schools and their impact on the generations. Wunneonatsu gets her passion from her Great-Grandmother Trudie Lamb-Richmond former tribal chair and her Grandmother Erin Meeches former tribal council member.

    Currently a student at Salve Regina University, Wunneonatsu plans to study psychology to raise awareness and effect change around mental health issues in the native community.

  • An enrolled citizen of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation descended from the Harris family, Aileen McDonough is a highly rated speaker and trainer and has published essays in Dawnland Voices: An Anthology of Indigenous Writing from New England.

    Dedicated to shaping the modern Indigenous narrative, Aileen served as Director of Communications for the Iroquois (now Haudenosaunee) Nationals lacrosse team and led the media campaign to spur the team’s inclusion in the 2022 World Games, helping pave the way for lacrosse, which originated as a Indigenous sport, to be included in the 2028 Olympics.

  • A prior member affiliated with STN, Beth's expertise in ecology includes knowledge of traditional herbs, their medicinal uses and regional characteristics. A Master Gardener and former Inland Wetland Commissioner for the city of West Haven, CT, Beth is experienced in ESRI Geographic Information Systems and has conducted extensive historical research into tribal history.

  • An enrolled citizen of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, Cate has participated in the Brown University summer program ‘Reimagining New England Histories’, which is led by the University’s Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice, the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology at Brown, and the Tomaquag Museum.

    In addition to leading initiatives for Orange Shirt Day for her school, Cate is currently carrying on the tradition of creating beadwork, inspired by the pieces she inherited from her great-grandmother Adele Harris Garby.

    She is currently a student at Sarah Lawrence College.