The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation honored Indigenous veterans and other service members Saturday at its annual Puneesuwak powwow at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center.
The gathering included a grand entry, traditional dance and song, a luncheon and workshops, The Day reported. Tribal Councilor Daniel Menihan, who chairs the planning committee, told the newspaper the event was intended to thank veterans for protecting the country and their communities.
The event also connected military service with support afterward: mental-health and addiction services were represented, and a panel gave veterans an opportunity to discuss their experiences and resources they had used, according to The Day.
The annual gathering has run for more than a decade, the newspaper reported.