Aurelius H. Piper, Sr.

Aurelius H. Piper Sr. (August 31, 1916 – August 3, 2008), also known as Big Eagle, was the chief of the Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation, a state-recognized tribe in Connecticut, from 1959 until 2008.

Early life Aurelius H. Piper was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut on August 31, 1916, to Aurelius Henry Piper (1889–1996) and Ethel Lillianoh Sherman Piper Baldwin Peters (ca. 1893–1993). Piper served in the United States military during World War II and took part in the American landings during the North African Campaign.

Piper was the subject of the book Quarter Acre of Heartache which is attributed to Claude Clayton Smith but is primarily written by Piper. The book details the history of the Paugussett Indian Nation and the fight to save what was left of their tribal land: a quarter-acre property in suburban Trumbull, Connecticut.

Background Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation is a small, state-recognized tribe of Paugusset people with tiny Connecticut reservations in both Trumbull and Colchester. The tribe has been an officially recognized tribe by the state of Connecticut for approximately 300 years.