When Mohegan Tribal Elder Sharon Maynard talks to tribal youths, she shares with them her “one thing rule.”

She tells them to learn one skill, one word, one story, or one dance, and then pass it along to somebody else.

Maynard, 69, has always been involved with the Mohegan Tribe and interested in tribal historic preservation.

In 2021, Maynard was named “Nonner,” an honor bestowed on a well-respected woman, who is typically an elder female. She received the special honor based on her community involvement within the tribe, said Cathy Soper, director of strategic initiatives and communications for the Mohegan Tribe.

Maynard was born in New London and grew up in Niantic. Her mother was a Native American activist, named Virginia Damon who would take her family members to meetings for the Mohegan Tribe and drive them to meet people from neighboring tribes and catch up on news.

“It was a very busy time in the 60s and the early 70s for Native activism especially in the area, amongst all the state Native tribes, so I got to learn and to respect not just my own people but the neighboring people too in the area, and that always impressed me about my mother, along with a lot of other things too,” Maynard said.

Maynard lives in New London, is married to her high school sweetheart and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren. She has held a host of jobs, primarily working as a cook, including for Cross Sound Ferry. She has an associates degree in food service management and a bachelors degree in anthropology.

Maynard has worked for the tribe as the manager of the Cultural and Community Programs Department and Field and Lab Technician in the Archaeology Department. She served on the Mohegan Tribal Council of Elders and is currently serving on the Language Committee, Garden Committee, and Burial Committee.

Her native name is, Accomac, which means across the water. She was involved with promoting the tribe’s yearly paddle down the Thames River and with the beginning of an annual cultural week that tribal members participate in. She makes traditional Mohegan baskets and has helped teach other tribal members and youth to make them.

Maynard said she loved the opportunity on the Council of Elders to interact with the youths, whether parching and grinding corn or making baskets, and try to catch their interest and instill in them a sense of pride in themselves and their tribe.

She likes to share the importance of being patient with people and being a role model for the younger generation.

“If you can be a good example and you can show kids that you appreciate them and that they’re loved, I think that’s probably one of the best things you can do for kids,” she said. “That’s what they pick up the most.”

k.drelich@theday.com