Tribal Museum Engages Students with Connecticut's
Rich History

CL&P Sponsored Performing Arts Series Attracts Thousands of Young People

The Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center (MPMRC), located in Mashantucket, is rich with the echoes and visions of North America's past and present. Owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, the museum offers an array of experiences - from walk-through dioramas and interactive exhibits, to live performances, a children's library and a research library - all of which tell the richly textured story of 18,000 years of Native American and natural history. The MPMRC welcomes 200,000 guests per year, who have come to tour this dynamic learning center and take part in its multi-sensory, immersion experience.

The museum features the CL&P Performing Arts Series, which provides elementary students from targeted schools with an opportunity to attend performances by the country's leading Native American artists, dancers, musicians and storytellers. The Series has proven particularly popular with these visiting school groups. Over the past three years, more than 3,000 school children, teachers, parents and guests were treated to a wide range of performances, and the Museum predicts that number will double to over 6,000 students in the next three years.

"What's most important about the Series is that it exposes these students, all of whom come from underserved communities, to authentic Native American performances they would otherwise never have the opportunity to experience," said the Museum's Public Relations Manager, David Holahan. The performers themselves, all uniquely talented, effectively showcase aspects of Native American culture in a very personal, engaging way. "The feedback we get has shown that these young people come away with a much better understanding of the richness of Native American cultures and artistry," Holahan added. "CL&P's ongoing sponsorship of the Performing Arts Series supports both the MPMRC's mission, and some very important but underserved Connecticut school communities."