The Mohegan are an Indigenous people originally based in what is now southeastern Connecticut in the United States. They are part of the Eastern Algonquian linguistic and cultural family and historically shared close ties with the neighboring Pequot, from whom they separated in the early 17th century. The Mohegan refer to themselves as the "Wolf People," and their cultural identity is deeply rooted in kinship, spirituality, and a reverent relationship with the natural world.

Over the centuries, Mohegan people have maintained their cultural continuity through oral tradition, community life, spiritual practice, and language preservation efforts. While many Mohegan descendants today are affiliated with federally or state-recognized tribal organizations, this article focuses on the Mohegan people as an ethnic and cultural group, distinct from any singular political or legal entity.

The Mohegan language, traditional lifeways, and ceremonies continue to be honored and practiced by community members who view cultural preservation as a living, generational responsibility.

The name Mohegan is derived from an Algonquian term commonly interpreted as "People of the Wolf." This name reflects the spiritual and symbolic significance of the wolf in Mohegan cosmology, where it is associated with loyalty, strength, and kinship. The wolf is often seen as both a protector and a teacher, appearing in oral tradition and ceremonial practices.

The use of the term “Mohegan” in English sources dates to the 17th century, when it began to appear in colonial documents. Variations in spelling (such as "Mohigan" or "Mohican") were common due to differences in transliteration and dialect.

Although the names "Mohegan" and "Mohican" are often confused, they refer to two distinct Indigenous peoples with separate histories, territories, and cultural identities. The Mohegan are traditionally based in what is now southeastern Connecticut, while the Mohican (also spelled Mahican) historically lived in the upper Hudson River Valley in present-day eastern New York and western Massachusetts.

Both peoples speak languages within the Eastern Algonquian branch of the Algonquian language family, and some cultural similarities exist due to shared linguistic and geographic roots. However, the two groups developed independently and maintained distinct political and kinship systems.

Early European writers often failed to distinguish between the groups due to phonetic similarities in their names. Dutch colonist Adriaen Block, one of the first Europeans to document both peoples, clearly distinguished between the "Morhicans" (Mohegan) and the "Mahicans" (Mohican) in his writings.