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Queen unveils Mohegan
Memorial 22 November 2006 HM the Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, were at Southwark Cathedral this morning for an evocative and moving service in which thanks were given for the life of Sachem Mahomet Weyonomon a Mohegan Tribal Chieftain, who was buried in the grounds, of what is now Southwark Cathedral, in 1736.
Representing the Mohegan tribe at the service was Bruce ’Two Dogs’ Bozsum, Chairman of the Tribal Council accompanied by his wife and two other representatives of the community, Mark Brown and Shane Long. During the service Timothy West, read from the petition which Mahomet brought to England to give to George II asking for justice and help in restoring their lands. Sachem Mahomet Weyonomon had been unable to present it to George II as he succumbed to smallpox before being given an audience. Bruce Bozsum presented a facsimile of the original petition to the Queen.
The memorial carved from granite taken from the Mohegan tribal lands by Peter Randall Page is designed to be a reminder of the injustice which was done and an encouragement to be better in the future.
Following a traditional Mohegan rite for blessing the stone during which the Mohegan representatives danced and sang and played a funerary blessing Bruce Bozsum presented the Queen with a stone pipe and asked her to unveil the memorial. As she did this the children from the Cathedral school sang. Once unveiled the memorial stone was blessed by the Rt Rev Tom Butler, the Bishop of Southwark and the American Ambassador Robert H Tuttle offered his greetings.
The US Ambassador's website has more details of the event (including his remarks) here. Ends. Diocesan
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