Tankiteke Lodge #313

Brief History of the Lodge

When Fairfield County Council was formed in July 1972, members from the three former Lodges Mauwehu 389, Chief Pomperaug 408, and Ponus 521 formed a tri-lodge steering committee. Members of the committee were:

From Mauwehu Lodge: Clyde Ikeda (Lodge Chief), James Wardwell (Area 1-E Vice Chief), and Mr. Vince Frascino (Lodge Advisor)

From Chief Pomperaug Lodge: Stephen Lockwood (Lodge Chief), Arne Garde, and Gene Smith (Lodge Advisor)

From Ponus Lodge: Kent Siladi (Lodge Chief), Scott Miles (Lodge Secretary), Dave Kennedy (Area 1-E Secretary), and Bjarne Karlsen (Lodge Advisor).

At their first meeting on September 22, 1972, the basic structure of the lodge was discussed and another meeting was scheduled for October 15. A total of five meetings were held and in December of 1972, the first tri-lodge dinner was held. Lodge name, officers, and rules were voted on and approved. In the subsequent months five chapters were formed: Owenoke (Stamford District), Pequot (Nutmeg District), Saganaw (Sachem and Oronoque Districts), and Scatacook (Scatacook District). In 1980, Sasqua and Owenoke chapters were merged into the Powahay chapter.

The Tankiteke Tribe of Indians Native Americans hunted and fished in the lands that are now southern Connecticut's Fairfield County and New York's Westchester County. The name Tankiteke is translated as "those of slight stature" by the natives and referred to their position in the council of chiefs, not their height. They spoke a dialect known as Munsi which was related to Mahican. The Tankitekes were a part of the last wandering Algonkian group called the Lenni Lenape (or Delawares). The Lenape was the "Grandfather" tribe of the various smaller groups that lived from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts. The Mahicans were the sub group of which the Tankitekes were a part.

The steady influx of Dutch settlers into the area during the mid 1600's resulted in the 1643 Kieft's War. Pacham, a Tankiteke Chief was responsible for stirring up the tribes against the Dutch. Finally, a peace was concluded by Mahican Chief Eskuyas and the enraged Chief Pacham was given over to the Dutch. In 1655, Ponus, a Tankiteke chief, sold Rippowam (now Stamford) to Norwalk settlers. Later, over a period from 1680-1740, Chief Catoonah sold other sections of Stamford, New Canaan, Ridgefield and the oblong (Vista, New York) to white settlers. Small pox and the white intrusion slowly did away with the proud Tankiteke tribe and by the time of the American Revolution they were gone.