Ralph W. Sturges
Ralph W. Sturges | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | December 25, 1918 |
| Died | October 1, 2007 (aged 88) |
| Nationality | Mohegan |
| Other names | G’tinemong |
Ralph Weston Sturges (December 25, 1918 – October 1, 2007) was an American Mohegan tribal chief who served as the 17th chief and who helped gain federal recognition for the Mohegan people of Connecticut in 1994.[1] He also helped to found and build Connecticut's Mohegan Sun Casino.[2] He held the title of "chief for life."[3]
The Mohegan tribe, which is based in Montville, Connecticut, is currently made up of approximately 1,700 people.[4] The Mohegan's reservation is located in eastern Connecticut along the Thames River near the town of Uncasville.[4] The Mohegans are one of the wealthiest tribes in the United States,[4] thanks to income from casinos and other facilities, whose construction was spearheaded by Sturges.
Personal life
[edit]Sturges was born December 25, 1918, in New London, Connecticut.[4] He traced his Mohegan ancestry to his maternal great-grandmother,[4] Emma Baker, a Mohegan medicine woman and early 1900s Native American activist who campaigned for the state to settle Mohegan land grievances.[3]
He served in the U.S. military in an intelligence division in New Guinea and the Philippines.[4] He was awarded a Bronze Star for his service in the war.[3]
Sturges worked in a number of professions before becoming active in Mohegan tribal affairs late in life. He worked as a disaster relief coordinator for the Salvation Army and a payroll deliveryman for an armored car company, among other jobs.[2]
He was a skilled and active marble sculptor. His works were placed on display at the Connecticut State Capitol and other public buildings.[3] Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell issued a statement following Sturges' death in 2007 saying, "He will be forever remembered for his contributions not only as a wise leader ... but as a skilled sculptor."[3]
Sturges was succeed as chief by Lynn Malerba in 2010.
References
[edit]- ^ "Mohegan Chiefs of the 20th Century".
- ^ a b "Mohegan Chief Dies". Hartford Courant. 2007-10-01. Archived from the original on 2013-01-02. Retrieved 2007-10-08.
- ^ a b c d e Peters, Mark (2007-10-02). "Longtime Mohegan Leader Dies At 88". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on 2021-07-08. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
- ^ a b c d e f Kershaw, Sarah (2007-10-04). "Ralph Sturges, Chief of Mohegan Tribe, Dies at 88". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-10-08.
External links
[edit]- 1918 births
- 2007 deaths
- Native American leaders
- Native American activists
- United States Army personnel of World War II
- Native American United States military personnel
- Native American sculptors
- Sculptors from Connecticut
- People from New London, Connecticut
- 20th-century American sculptors
- 20th-century American male artists
- American male sculptors
- Native American male artists