Aurelius H. Piper Sr. facts for kids

Aurelius H. Piper Sr. (born August 31, 1916 – died August 3, 2008) was also known as Big Eagle or Chief Big Eagle. He was the leader of the Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation in Connecticut. He served as their chief from 1959 until his death in 2008.

Life of Chief Big Eagle

Early Years

Aurelius Piper Sr. served in the United States military. He was a soldier during World War II. He took part in important American landings in North Africa during the war.

Becoming a Chief

In 1959, Aurelius Piper was named the hereditary chief of the Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation. His mother, Chieftess Rising Star, chose him for this important role. He later lived on the Paugussett's small reservation in Trumbull, Connecticut.

Working for Native American Rights

Chief Piper traveled a lot to represent his tribe. He also spoke for other Native American groups. He worked hard to protect the rights of minority groups and Native peoples. He even visited Moscow as part of a group of Native Americans.

He also wrote for a journal called De Kiva Journal. He wrote about Native American issues from eastern North America. This journal works to support Native American rights. It presents their concerns to the International Human Rights Council in Geneva. The journal is based in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Chief Piper was part of many groups in Connecticut. These groups worked for the rights of Native Americans and other minorities. He also helped Native Americans who were in prison. He was called "chief of the century" by the White Buffalo Society in Florida. This was because of his important work for Native American causes. He helped people in Connecticut, across the country, and even in other parts of the world.

Chief Big Eagle once said, "It is a sacred obligation. Indian people must keep their languages alive. If the language is not spoken, it must be made to live again." This shows how much he cared about preserving Native American culture and languages.

A book called Quarter Acre of Heartache was written about Chief Piper. He wrote most of the book himself. The book tells the story of the Paugussett Indian Nation. It also shares their fight to keep their tribal land. This land was a small quarter-acre property in Trumbull, Connecticut.

His Passing

Aurelius H. Piper Sr. passed away on August 3, 2008. He was 92 years old. He died from natural causes at the Golden Hill reservation in Trumbull, Connecticut. He was survived by his wife, Marsha Conte Piper. He also had five children, several stepchildren, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

After his death, his son, Aurelius H. Piper Jr., became the new hereditary chief. His son is also known as Chief Quiet Hawk.

About the Golden Hill Paugussett Tribe

The Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation is a small tribe. They have small reservations in Trumbull and Colchester, Connecticut. The state of Connecticut has officially recognized them as a tribe for about 300 years.

However, the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs has not given them federal recognition. Federal recognition means the U.S. government officially recognizes a tribe. The last time their request was turned down was in 2004.

The Golden Hill Paugussett tribe once claimed a very large area of land. This area was over 700,000 acres (about 2,800 square kilometers). It stretched from Middletown to Wilton. It also included parts of New York's Westchester County. These large land claims caused legal challenges. The tribe has since dropped these claims. But they could bring them up again if they get federal recognition in the future.