John Christian Hopkins is a Narraganset journalist, author, poet and public speaker who resides in Tuba City, Arizona. Hopkins was born in 1960 in Westerly, Rhode Island. In 1983, he enrolled at the University of Rhode Island, where he graduated with degrees in journalism and history in 1987. Journalism Endeavors Hopkins spent time as a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist for the Gannett News Service, and also has written for USA Today, The News-Press, The Pequot Times, The Westerly Sun, Indian Country Today Media Network, News from Indian Country and Native Peoples Magazine. His work has received recognition from the Gannett Awards and the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA) Awards. In 2003, he became the first member of the NAJA to receive awards in four different writing categories during the same year (news, features, sports and columns). From an early age, Hopkins knew exactly what he wanted to do and made it happen. “I’ve never wanted to do anything other than write,” Hopkins said in an interview. “Through journalism I saw a chance to write, tell stories of interesting people and things and get paid for it!” From Journalist to Author The field of journalism has brought Hopkins from Rhode Island to Massachusetts, New York, Florida, and now Arizona. While he has been in the reporting business for twenty-plus years, he also delved into writing fiction novels over the past decade. Hopkins has published five books: Carlomagno in 2003, Nacogdoches in 2004, The Pirate Prince Carlomagno in 2011, Twilight of the Gods in 2011, and Rhyme or Reason: Narragansett Poetry in 2012. Hopkins doesn’t shy away from trying out different genres, whether it be historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, or even poetry. “I can’t sleep at night because my mind won’t turn off; I spend time thinking of things to write about, genres I want to try,” said Hopkins. “I feel some need to create.” His first book, Carlomagno, is based off King Philip’s War, fictionally elaborating on the story of King Philip’s captured son, whom he names “Carlomagno.” Hopkins’s long love of westerns is apparent in Nacogdoches, which follows “The Rango Kid,” as he impersonates a sheriff and finds himself forced to stand up to a criminal. The Pirate Prince of Carlomagno continues to tell a story of a Young Native American’s struggles to elude slavery. In Twilight of the Gods, Hopkins explores the science fiction genre by writing about the supernatural coming to life, based off the Mayan calendar’s predictions. Most recently, Hopkins published Rhyme or Reason: Narragansett Poetry, which touches on Narragansett tribal history. “I definitely enjoy mixing real history with fiction, so that not only can I tell a story, but maybe help the reader to learn something they didn’t know,” said Hopkins. “By the way, I am related to the main character in Carlomagno.” Descent Hopkins is related to the Wampanoag tribe and is of kin to Quadequina — known famously for introducing popcorn to the Pilgrims at the First Thanksgiving. In addition, Hopkins is of King Ninigret descent — the last hereditary royal family of the Narragansett Native Americans in Rhode Island. Hopkins himself served as a Narragansett Tribal Council member from 1994 to 1996. Despite his relation to some historically renowned Native Americans, Hopkins doesn’t want to be known as just another Native American writer. He wants to be known as a writer. “I don’t want to be limited,” he said. “I’ve worked at newspapers where I was the 'Indian' writer, go do the pow wow stories, write about casino plans. I am more than that. I will not be put in a box and be defined by someone else.” Writing Style Between his novels, poetry and journalism, Hopkins’s writing style varies drastically. But when he is wearing his nationally syndicated columnist hat, Hopkins greets his readers with a particularly humorous tone. “I write for an audience,” said Hopkins. “I prefer humor because there is too much sadness in the news and I want to brighten someone’s day with an unexpected chuckle or smile. I also think it’s more challenging to be funny as writer. Everyone understands sadness and pain, but to make someone laugh is special — because people have different senses of humor.” The following depicts his lighthearted voice as a columnist: I never planned to be a failed journalist or a hack writer. Seriously, in my youth, I had big plans that included wealth, women and worldwide fame. Now I’d settle for a Twinkie and a Diet Coke. I’m not one of those quacks that hope to better his or her life by climbing Mount Everest or learning to make origami swans. Instead, I am devoted to Self-Hypnotic Introspection Therapy. (You figure out the acronym for that). (”My Past Lives Relived for You,” Indian Country Today Media Network) As his writing style may suggest, Hopkins has fun with all the day-to-day responsibilities of being a writer. He is currently working on a couple projects, and that’s the way he likes it. One of his projects is a western that takes place in an Arizona ghost town; the other is a fantasy about wizards and warriors. Again, he has fun with it. “I’ve never been intimidated by a blank page and a deadline. I see it as a challenge, a test,” Hopkins said. “And usually I have far more to say than I can fit on a blank page. Also, it’s my way of gaining immortality. I’ll be gone some day, but my words will live on.” References Sonja Horoshko. “Hopkins’ ‘Carlomagno’ Imagines the Life of a Native American Pirate.” Four Corners Free Press. (Aug. 2011). Reid Wright. “‘Twilight of the Gods.’” The Cortez Journal. (March 2012). “Native American Authors.” Internet Public Library. (2012). “Narragansett Indian Tribe.” Official Tribal Website. Anthony Arusso. “A writing life for Hopkins.” Southern Rhode Island Newspapers. (Dec. 2011). John Christian Hopkins. “Honesty and Crimes: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly.” Indian Country Today Media Network. (Feb. 2013). John Christian Hopkins. “My Past Lives Relived for You.” Indian Country Today Media Network. (March 2013). John Christian Hopkins. “Peace Party Comics features Native American warriors as the heroes.” Pequot Times. (May 2002). Hopkins, John Christian. Carlomagno. New York: IUniverse, 2003. Print. Hopkins, John Christian. Nacogdoches. N.p.: Publish America, 2004. Print. Hopkins, John Christian. The Pirate Prince Carlomagno. Franklin Park, NJ: Wampum, 2011. Print. Hopkins, John Christian. Rhyme or Reason: Narragansett Poetry. Greenfield, MA: Blue Hand, 2012. Print. Hopkins, John Christian. Twilight of the Gods. Greenfield, MA: Blue Hand, 2011. Print. “Native American Journalists Association.” Official Website. “Author John Christian Hopkins.” Personal Blog. “John Christian Hopkins Fan Page.” Facebook.
Steven Robert, UNH '13 Oliver Thomas, UNH '14
Larry Spotted Crow Mann is a Native author and musician belonging to the Nipmuc tribe. At an early age, Mann developed a strong interest in his tribe and has since worked to educate the public about Nipmuc history and culture (Sacks). On his role of promoting Nipmuc traditions and history, he states: “I’m somebody who is dedicated to my culture and tradition, and through that I hope to bring forth the intrinsic connection we all have as human beings. I love to learn new things and from other cultures” (Volain). His writing and music are shaped to not only honor traditions, but also to reach out to uninformed audiences and teach them about his tribe, which has been long part of American history. Music As a musician, he is a member of the Quabbin Lake Singers, along with his three sons Anoki, Nantai, and Manixit. The group has a focus on upholding and honoring culture with their music: during performances, the four wear traditional clothing to honor their ancestors. Mann holds the role of Drum Keeper in the group, a role that requires him to “ensure the Drum is being honored and played in a manner for the particular ceremony taking place.” The Drum is a sacred object in Native American culture that must be respected, as it is “the heartbeat of Mother Earth” and “allows us to pray and communicate with the natural elements of the world and beyond” (Volain). Writing Nowadays, the Quabbin Lake Singers do not perform as often as they used to, but Mann devotes the majority of his creative energies to writing. His writing career began in his youth when he wrote letters to the government in order to draw attention to issues that the Nipmuc people face. Additionally, he has been writing prose and poetry since his teens. He wrote his first book, a collection of short stories and poetry titled Tales from the Whispering Basket, because he wanted not only to acknowledge Nipmuc history, culture, and contributions to the foundations of America, but also to explore his ability to write in different genre styles (Volain). He has also contributed to Indian Country Today Magazine. While the majority of his work details Nipmuc culture and history, he also branches out to write about themes that aren’t directly related to his tribe. One of the short stories from Tales from the Whispering Basket entitled “Deadly Deeds” describes a man from the fictional town “Namtac” leasing a small cottage in the town of “Dinac.” While the townsfolk are initially puzzled by his presence, they come to harass and assault him four weeks after he rents the cottage. After uncomfortably living there for a year, he takes a look at the lease again only to be shocked: As I read the fine print, I freaked out so bad I coughed up hair! It states: ’We the citizens and the town of Dinac shall only lease and rent to our kind. All others may stay for a respite but must depart after four weeks. Those who choose to stay past that time period risk life and limb. All those who stay one year shall be eaten!’ So, do you see my dilemma? I’m not a ‘Dinac,’ I’m a ‘Namtac!’ Those Dinac’s have been barking and chasing my kind for centuries! We scratch and fight but I’m stranded and outnumbered! I hear them coming! So, please, read your lease well lest you end up renting from a bunch of dogs! (Mann, 75) The story displays his imaginative prose and, based on the last sentence, a hint of humor, but the idea of a group of people united under a common distinction (e.g., what race they belong to, where they come from, where they live now, etc.) oppressing another is certainly a familiar topic for Native Americans. This piece of fiction is more playful — and more extreme at the same time — with the topic than the other stories and poems in his book. Personal Life and Upbringing With his wife, daughter, and three sons, Mann currently lives in Webster, Massachusetts, in Worchester County, a place where his ancestors have lived “since time immemorial.” However, Mann was born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts (Urban). Despite his people’s rich history in the area, he still felt different and out-of-place among the other kids: “Our people have always been here, but when you’re a kid and there are very few people who can identify with who you are, you actually begin to feel like an outsider on the very Earth your people have been on for thousands of years.” Environmental Activism Mann has also participated in environmental activism, such as working with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in order to protect an indigenous fish local to the Worcester area ("It's Not Just..."). He has stated that "[the] Earth is not something for you to rip apart. It's there for everyone to share and understand." In line with this, he believes that if Indian culture had progressed on its own without European influence, it would have created technology that is more environmentally-friendly than what is commonly used today in Western culture (Steeves). The Nipmuc Tribe The Nipmuc tribe is based in central New England, mainly within Worchester County, Massachusetts, but used to inhabit territory reaching from southern New Hampshire to northern Connecticut and Rhode Island. They lived in villages such as Wabaquasset, Agawam, and Quaboag, utilizing a lifestyle including hunting, gathering, and planting. Since European arrival, they participated in King Philip’s War and all the wars on American soil such as the Revolutionary and Civil Wars (Toney). Today, the Nipmucs are not federally recognized due to failing to meet all the necessary criteria for federal recognition as set by the Office of Federal Acknowledgement (OFA) of the BIA (“Martin issues…”). The OFA’s denial of recognition is based on the findings of John Milton Earle in an 1861 report regarding the Native population of Massachusetts. Earle noted that some tribes within the Nipmuc Nation had little property and was unsure of the tribal status of members who married white or African American individuals, unwittingly skewing the lineage of many of today’s Nipmuc Indians as recorded by the federal government (Thee). As of 2009, the Nipmuc tribe consists of roughly 3,000 members. Today, they seek to restore their culture and obtain federal recognition. Mann states that “when you look at of what our people went through, it’s almost impossible to get [federal] recognition” (Filipov). Mann is one of many Nipmucs trying to bring back both cultural practices and tribal pride, hoping the public will recognize them even if the government won’t. References Filipov, David. “Through Songs and Artifacts, Tribe Revives a Long-Lost Culture.” Boston Globe: A.1. June 06 2009. ProQuest. Web. 11 April 2013. Holley, Cheryll Toney. “A Brief Look at Nipmuc History.” WordPress.com, 2001. Web. 17 April 2013 ""It's Not Just Native History, it's American History"". Mass Media, 29 November 2011. Web. 8 April 2013. Mann, Larry Spotted Crow. Tales from the Whispering Basket. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2011. Print. “Martin Issues Final Determination to Decline Federal Acknowledgment of The Nipmuc Nation.” U.S. Department of the Interior. Sacks, Pamela H. “Webster man keeps Nipmuc tradition alive.” Telegram & Gazette. Steeves, Gus. "Earth is not something for you to rip apart". Southbridge Evening News, 16 November 2011. Web. 10 April 2013. Thee, Christopher J. “Massachusetts Nipmucs and the Long Shadow of John Milton Earle.” The New England Quarterly. Urban, Cori. “Springfield native Larry Spotted Crow Mann authors new book titled ‘Tales from the Whispering Basket.’” masslive.com Volain, Mark. Two Minutes With…Larry Spotted Crow. Worchester Mag. Further Reading Interview with Larry Spotted Crow Mann and performance with the Quabbin Lake Singers. Official Website of the Nipmuc Nation. Nipmuc Nation. Mann, Larry Spotted Crow. “BIO.” Tales from the Whispering Basket. Mann, Larry Spotted Crow. “David Barton’s Lies about King Philip’s War”. Indian Country Today, 12 April 2013. Web. 14 April 2013. Mann, Larry Spotted Crow. “Native People Are Still Being Misinterpreted and Misunderstood”. Indian Country Today Media Network. 16 October 2012. Web. 1 April 2013. Mann, Larry Spotted Crow. “Last Thoughts on Columbus Day—For This Year, at Least”. Indian Country Today Media Network, 10 October 2012. Web. 1 April 2013. Mann, Larry Spotted Crow. “Mitt Romney Proves Yet Again Just How Out of Touch He Is”. Indian Country Today Media Network, 23 September 2012. Web. 1 April 2013.
Life and Career Vera J. Francis is a Passamaquoddy educator, environmental activist and performance artist rooted in Wabanaki traditional storytelling. She resides in Perry, Maine, on the Pleasant Point (Sipayik) Reservation. Francis writes and speaks frequently about environmental issues and tribal politics in newspapers, at conferences, and on websites. On April 19, 2013, she was interviewed by Parker Cavallaro (UNH '13) for this article. As part of the nonprofit Ntulankeyutmonen Nkitahkomikon—NN “We Take Care of Our Land”, Francis has advocated for the environmental preservation of Pleasant Point-Passamaquoddy ancestral territory. Because Passamaquoddy ancestral homeland is now divided by the U.S.-Canadian border along the St. Croix river, Francis has been involved with legal proceedings concerning both federal governments, including litigation between the Bureau of Indian Affairs, members of the Passamaquoddy-Pleasant Point (Sipayik) Reservation, and various energy companies seeking leases for land in trust. In addition to work with NN, Francis’s second activist group, The Schoodic Riverkeepers, has dedicated its work to more recent issues involving the St. Croix River alewife (a migratory species of herring) and glass eel. The group has called for these two species to be restored through measures such as unrestricted spawning runs, traditional resource management such as catch limiting, and increased support for an indigenous economy through export of fish products ("Vera Francis-Personal Interview"). Part 1: The Story of A Fish A History of Turmoil For over 600 generations of Passamaquoddy ancestry, the St. Croix River alewife (Siqonomeq in the Maliseet language) has traveled from the brackish tidal waters of Passamaquoddy Bay to upstream spawning grounds in the river's 1,650 square mile watershed ("8.0 St. Croix River Basin" 1-2). With eight independent tributary streams and lakes, the St. Croix River basin provides the freshwater environment necessary for the alewives' annual run. Today, things have changed for the migratory fish. Alewives will travel 35 miles inland through the lower branch of the river, as they always have. They will reach the town of Baileyville, Maine, as they always have. And, since 2008, they will be allowed by the Canadian government to pass through the Milltown Dam, which is used for hydroelectric power generation ("St. Croix Alewife Pt. 2"). The fish will then travel to Woodland Dam where, since 1998, alewives have been permitted by the state of Maine to pass further upstream. This brings the fish to Grand Falls, where their journey ends. For just over 17 years, the alewives have finished their run at the Grand Falls Dam, where they are left to spawn in tributary lakes and streams below this point ("The Alewifes Argument" 1). International opposition has kept them here, and, until recently, it was uncertain if the fish would ever go further. Alewife and The Maine Economy Sport fishermen see the alewife as a pest since the mature fish are able to feed on the fry of a much more coveted species, the small mouth bass. While bass str renowned as the prize of fisherman around the word, for the Passamaquoddy this marine trophy has overshadowed the ecological and cultural significance of the St. Croix alewife. The economy of Maine's sport fishing industry, along with the continuing need for hydroelectric power along the river, have cut off the remainder of the alewives' territory ("St. Croix Alewife Pt. 2"). As a result, roughly half of Passamaquoddy ancestral territory receives no yearly spawn. Furthermore, the alewives's current run is cut off from nearly 98% of tributary area by square mileage. Thus, the tribe has not received any natural supply of alewife to upper tributaries in almost a quarter of a century ("Vera Francis-Personal Interview"). Shortly, though, everything will change. Part 2: The Story of A Woman Maintaining the Right to Fish In addition to her efforts with land preservation and legal activism with NN, Francis is a founding member of a second Passamaquoddy activist organization known as the Schoodic Riverkeepers. Advocating for the tribe's traditional fishing rights, the organization focuses exclusively on alewife and river restoration, and has called on the U.S./Canadian International Joint Commission to restore the alewife's original territory. The Passamaquoddy believe strongly that the alewife is bestowed the natural and spiritual right to regenerate in its original scale (Toensing 1). Chief Hugh Agaki of the Passamaquoddy tribe at St. Andrews, New Brunswick, comments on this naturalistic philosophy: "What’s happened to the Alewives is a reflection of what’s happened to ourselves, in terms of an indigenous species being displaced from our natural territory..." (Passamaquoddy Push for Restoration of Alewife..." 1) To say that the alewife is tied to the Passamaquoddies' livelihood would be an understatement. The alewife, much like the glass eel, is a culturally-embedded species. The two species were once among three other searun fish in the St. Croix. Now that the Atlantic Salmon, Shad, and Blueback Herring are gone, these two fish are all the tribe has left ("St. Croix Alewife Pt. 2"). Ecological Activism that Preserves Tradition Vera Francis sits in front of her shoreline camp on Schoodic Lake. The sun has just dipped below the horizon, and it is dusk when my call reaches her. She is fishing for glass eels--not a breed, but an age where the juvenile eel is transparent, giving its body an almost crystal-like appearance. "We're paying attention to what's going on," Vera mentions in reference to current state legislation. The legislation in question is Maine House Bill L.D. 451, unanimously reccommended for a house vote by Maine's Marine Resources Committee and signed by the governor on March 21st, 2013. Because of L.D. 451, Vera is considered non-licensed by the state of Maine because she is above an imposed license limit, capped at 200 for the Passamaquoddy. I discover that Vera is actually fishing for glass eels in protest, (her licence number would be 341 if not for such strict regulations). In the state's eyes, she is not supposed to be doing what she is doing--and may even be asked to leave. In the eyes of her ancestors, she is doing what she is meant to do, and what her tribe has done for thousands of years. How, then, is the debate settled, when modernity and resource management clash with the intrinsic right to preserve one's way of life? Vera explains to me that this "debate" need not exist. "We are fishing through a sustainable management plan that is focused on what comes out of the water." The Passamaquoddy's solution to the ecological fragility of the glass eel is quite literally a matter of numbers. Rather than managing the species through access to fishing licenses alone, the juvenile eel is preserved by measuring how many are caught. When tribal members reach their catch limit, they simply stop fishing. This practice is in direct contrast to the state's approach on glass eel fishing where year by year, eel licenses have been tightened in their availability. L.D. 451 only worstens the prospect for legal traditional fishing. For regular eel harvesters, scant licensure is merely an inconvenience. For the Passamaquoddy, the glass eel (often fetching up to two thousand dollars per pound) is not just essential but financially critical ("Feds to Stay out of Maine Glass Eel Dispute" 1). It's not just about the fish. Vera reminds me that the glass eel and alewife demand specific fishing practices. One must learn how to craft a seine for the eel, how to rig it in the water, and how to know when to stop fishing. These practices maintain the tradition of practical knowledge and skill that has always been a part of Passamaquoddy life. By continuing to fish for alewife and glass eel, the Passamaquoddy have also created an economy that supports industry outside of the tribe. Alewife is a good baitfish: catches are used by fish processing plants to create fish meal for lobstering, and are shipped off to distributors for commercial bait supply. When manufacturers, fish processors, and fisherman use the alewife, or when glass eels are purchased for eating, these subsequent economies perpetuate the traditional practices of the Passamaquoddy and ensure their future with a traditional marine subsistence ("Vera Francis-Personal Interview"). Francis explains why these indigenous fishing rights are so critical: "If you can't fully access the environment to participate in the traditional activity, you cannot acquire a traditional economy. You won't be able to acquire the knowledge or new knowledge that is required to sustain a traditional economy." Looking Towards the Future If the Passamaquoddy are to maintain this traditional economy, they must continue their advocacy for the resources that allow them to do so. Still, the frantic pace of modern progress will continue to conflict with the ecological necessity of tribal members. The impact of development along the St. Croix will push relentlessly forward--but so too will the Passamaquoddy. Francis's commitment to preserving the glass eel is illustrative of her continuing commitment to her own ancestral territory. The alewife will soon see waters that have not been seen in decades. The glass eel may finally receive the responsible fishing management needed to ensure its future as well. These are the triumphs that define Vera Francis, and define the Passamaquoddy as a resilient, adaptive, and resourceful people. In an ongoing effort to inform scholarly communities, Vera is published in the March 2012 issue of Yemaya, a journal for gender and fisheries published by the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF). In her article, Francis reminds readers how the perception of progress from the colonial perspective is often seen as a detriment to indigenous communities and their ecological resources (Francis 2-3). *This article began as a biographical entry for Wikipedia. Thanks to Vera Francis for her interview, and for her feedback on both the Wikipedia article and this one. References “The Alewives Argument". The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram. Web. 22 Apr. 2013. Alewife St. Croix Part 2. Dir. Ed Bassett. 2010. Digital Media. “Feds to Stay Out of Maine Glass Eel Dispute.” Sun Journal. Web. 21 Apr. 2013. Francis, Vera J. "Exercising Sovereignty on the Sea." Yemaya 39 (2012): 2-3. Print. “Legislators Pass Bill to Reopen River to Alewives." The Kennebec Journal, Augusta, ME. Web. 22 Apr. 2013. Toensing, Gale C. "Passamaquoddy Nation Seeks to Free Alewives on St. Croix River - ICTMN.com." Indian Country Today Media Network.com. Indian Country Today, 11 July 2012. Web. 21 Apr. 2013. "Vera Francis-Personal Interview." Telephone interview. 19 Apr. 2013. Walsh, Tom. "Passamaquoddy Push for Restoration of Alewife Spawning Grounds."Passamaquoddy Push for Restoration of Alewife Spawning Grounds. Bangor Daily News, 10 June 2012. Web. 21 Apr. 2013. "8.0 St. Croix River Basin (Eastern Maine Coastal)." Maine.gov. N.p., Oct. 2007. Web. 20 Apr. 2013.
Lorèn Spears, MsEd, (Narragansett/Niantic) is an educator, essayist, artist and two-term Tribal Councilwoman of the Narragansett Tribe in Charlestown, Rhode Island, where she currently resides. She is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island and the University of new England; and taught for over two decades, including 12 years in the Newport Public School system working with underserved children. Spears is also the Executive Director of one of the oldest tribal museums in the country--the Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum, located in Exeter, RI. This site was originally home to the Dovecrest Restaurant and Trading Post, founded by Eleanor and Ferris Dove. A few years after the museum was founded by Eva Butler and Princess Red Wing in the 1950s, the Dove's donated their property to provide the museum a permanent location. Native American Education The museum has helped her with many of her personal endeavors, including the publishing of her essay in the book The Pursuit of Happiness: An Indigenous View, the Narragansett People Speak in 2005 as well as serving as the site for her school. Spears is a strong advocate for integrating more Native history and experiential learning into school curricula, as well as standing up for Native American children in the public school systems. As a child, Spears struggled to reach the caliber of her first grade classmates in her public school class in rural Rhode Island. She reflects on the experience, stating that “it was the perfect story of the low expectations white teachers have for Native American children” (Coeyman). In an unfortunate sense of déjà vu, Spears watched her eldest son struggle through first and second grade. This is when she decided to take some action; the discrimination of, and lack of respect for, Native children had gone on too long. Because of this, in 2003, Lorèn founded the Nuweetooun-meaning "our home"- School. This was a K-8th grade day school for Native American children (but also open to the public), located on the museum site, that used a curriculum based in Native American tradition and culture as well as standard academic subjects like math, literature and science. Her mission for the school was laid out in her essay featured in The Pursuit of Happiness: We are committed to an experiential, integrated and collaborative learning environment in which we strive to develop well-rounded, enthusiastic and self-motivated learners. They experience education that embraces their Learning styles, honors their multiple intelligences, and enriches their educational, social spiritual and cultural development. Lorèn has achieved this idea of experiential learning in various ways including having her students learn to work with and appreciate nature by trekking through a nearby forest to identify various trees, animal tracks and vegetation, making a gallon of maple syrup from 40 gallons of maple sap and travelling to Bluff Point State Park in Groton, CT to receive a hands-on lesson on “how archaeologists use fine-mesh screens and water to recover small-scale remains” (Silliman). She has also taught her students about the importance of the Three Sisters, which consist of corn, beans and squash, to the Narragansett people and many other Native American tribes. Each student at the Nuweetooun School, therefore, created either a picture or a poem about the Three Sisters, which were inspired by the Three Sisters Garden located on the grounds of the Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum. These depictions were collected and composed into a book, The Three Sisters: Pictures and Poems. The proceeds from selling this book were incorporated back into funding the school. Narragansett People and Nature In another endeavor sponsored and published by the museum, Lorèn, her mother Dawn Dove, her daughter Laurel and her grandmother Eleanor Spears Dove collaborated with other family members, tribe members and artist Holly Ewald to create “an environmentally-themed collage art book that presents Indigenous perspectives on the history of the Mashapaug Pond, the last remaining natural freshwater body in Providence, Rhode Island” (Farris). At one time in the history of the Narragansett People, the pond served as a venue for the young people to learn how to fish, swim and navigate canoes; it was also a very important factor in the physical and psycho-spiritual well being of the Narragansett community (Farris). Lorèn further explores the importance of nature in her poem “Roaring Brook,” which has yet to be published: Every spring the brook’s water was glistening and full Roaring from Arcadia, over falls and rocks; We swam all summer in the pool We thought it was deep Our memories fun-filled and cool Like the Mashapaug Pond, this brook served as a place for young Narragansett people to explore. Unfortunately, due to more than a century of industrial pollution and surface water runoff, the Mashapaug Pond can no longer contribute to the lives of the Narragansett community. However, Lorèn further describes in “Roaring Brook” how her community worked hard to preserve these important natural landmarks and the significance of continuing the preservation: Grandfather, Chief Roaring Bull, Always kept the brook clean… …So long as we heed nature’s call: Care for Mother Earth and her creatures So that Roaring Brook can be enjoyed by all In addition to heeding nature’s call, Lorèn strived to enrich her students with the culture in which they live, and grew up. As a result, every day at the Nuweetooun School begins with a Friendship Circle, a tradition of Narragansett people. Other cultural classroom activities include beadwork, finger weaving, basketry and the use of some Narragansett words (Hopkins). Struggles and Achievements Unfortunately, the Nuweetooun School was faced with a series of crises from 2009-2010. In 2009, the water pipes in the school building were discovered to have traces of metal in them, thus making the water unsafe to drink. Since the school is a non-profit organization, they relied on grants and fundraising to fund their school. With the help of this fundraising, the school was able to fix the plumbing issues in July 2009 (Thanks). The following year, the school was faced with more problems. In March 2010, the Supreme Court made a ruling that removed 31 acres of land out of trust from the Narragansett reservation in Charlestown. Because the tribe had much less land for money-making ventures, they had less money to provide to the school. In addition, Rhode Island was hit with devastating floods, which forced the school to go on hiatus, where it remains today (Davis). In light of these events, in 2010 Spears was also chosen as one of eleven Extraordinary Women honorees for Rhode Island. This award exemplifies the very nature of Lorèn Spears—extraordinary. In the words of Narragansett Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, the Narragansett People “…support her in all she is doing and seeking to accomplish. She is an exceptional woman…” (Rovetti). References Coeyman, Marjorie (29 July 2003). "The school that Loren built; Native American children lag behind other minorities in academic achievement. One Rhode Island woman wants to change that." The Christian Science Monitor. Davis, Paul (Mar. 2009). "U.S. Supreme Court ruling latest setback for Indians". The Providence Journal. Farris, Phoebe (September 2012). "Through Our Eyes: An Indigenous View of Mashapaug Pond". Cultural Survival Quarterly. Retrieved 7 April 2013. Hopkins, John Christian. "Nuweetooun - Our Home - School". News from Indian Country. Rovetti, Leslie (29 March 2010). "It's official: Narragansett educator, curator Loren Spears is extraordinary". Westerly Sun. Retrieved 6 April 2013. Spears, Cassius, Jr., comp. The Three Sisters: Pictures and Poems. Exeter: Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum/ Nuweetooun School, 2009. Print. Spears, Loren (2005). The Pursuit of Happiness: An Indigenous View of Education. Exeter, RI: Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum. pp. xx. "Thanks to You, WE REACHED OUR GOAL!" Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum and Nuweetooun School. Nuweetooun School, 2 June 2009. Web. 4 Apr. 2013. Through Our Eyes: An Indigenous View of Mashapaug Pond. Exeter, RI: Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum. 2012. pp. xx.
Suzanne Rancourt is a Native American poet, veteran of both the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army, and a regular Jack of all trades (Erdrich). Rancourt connects with people through her poetry, as well as through other art forms, and through instructive positions and jobs she has held. About Her Life Rancourt was born and raised in west central Maine as part of the Abenaki Bear Clan, of which she is now an elder, though she currently lives in Hadley, New York(Archuleta 74; “Birthing the Drum” ; Birns 17). She not only has a Masters of Fine Arts in Poetry from Vermont College but also a Master of Science in Educational Psychology from University at Albany, SUNY (Erdrich). With her degrees and several abilities, Rancourt has coordinated Pow wows, and held workshops on several topics including drum making (“Birthing the Drum” ; Keyser). She has worked as a counselor for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in New York and has also worked as a parent education specialist for a Head Start Program in the northern part of New York (Rancourt 68; Erdrich). Among other things, Rancourt is also a singer/songwriter, a personal fitness trainer, a percussionist, an herbal educator, and a dance instructor (Erdrich) Rancourt is not afraid to try it all and to spread her knowledge to others. About Her Writing Suzanne Rancourt’s work has appeared in numerous locations. It has been published in several literary journals including Callaloo and The Cimmaron Review, as well as many other anthologies (Rancourt “Poets & Writers”). Her most notable work is her collection of poetry calledBillboard in the Clouds, which won the Native Writer’s Circle of the Americas First Book Award in 2001, while some of her other pieces appear in The Journal of Military Experience Volume II. The Journal of Military Experience The Journal of Military Experience contains prose, poetry, and artwork from veterans all across the United States. The goal of the journal is to express what it is truly like to serve and to “facilitat[e] a dialogue that can bridge the gap between civilians and those who serve” (The Journal of Military Experience). Rancourt published five different poems in this journal and while many of her other poems showcase stories of her life outside of the military, of her family, and of nature, the poems in this journal are packed with raw emotion all focused on her experiences in the military and army. Rancourt expresses the same intenseness that she does in her other poetry and remains true to her simplistic style for which she has been praised for (Birns 20). Her poems are rather short, but are packed with vivid images that speak of the aftermath of bombs, the tragedy of innocent deaths, and the confusion and exhaustion involved in serving. Billboard in the Clouds Suzanne Rancourt’s poetry in Billboard in the Clouds covers three different themes: her childhood, her ancestors, and her current life. The poems about her childhood include descriptions of nature, her parents, and grandparents. Ancestral poems cover stories Rancourt has heard conveying deep connections between her people and their land. Finally, poems about contemporary life cover such topics as Rancourt’s life with her son, her current home, and, in some, hints of her military experience. Many of the works in this book are a lot longer than the works she published in The Journal of Military Experience, but she presents her stories and images with the same vivid realness as in those poems. Her style is very simple, not abstract or meant to confuse. It is more like a parent or a lover sitting you down to tell a story or to express an emotion. Her work is extremely approachable because it is relatable and allows the reader to enter into her life with understanding. “Whose Mouth Do I Speak With” is one of the forty poems that appears in the book and it tells a story about Rancourt’s father from when she was young: I can remember my father bringing home spruce gum, He worked in the woods and filled his pockets with golden chunks of pitch. For his children he provided this special sacrament and we’d gather at this feet, around his legs, bumping his lunchbox, and his empty thermos rattled inside. Our skin would stick to Daddy’s gluey clothing and we’d smell like Mumma’s Pine Sol. We had no money for store bought gum but that’s all right. The spruce gum was so close to chewing amber as though in our mouths we held the eyes of Coyote and how many other children had fathers that placed on their innocent, anxious tongue the blood of tree?” (Rancourt 21) On the Poem This poem allows the reader so much access to Rancourt’s life as a child. It becomes apparent that Rancourt had a positive relationship with her father growing up. He provides this special gift to his kids and Rancourt questions “how many other children had fathers” who would do something like this for them. The act of getting this gum almost seems like a ritual for her and her siblings. They beg at the father’s feet and we get this textual image of Rancourt’s father’s sticky clothing that gives off a piney scent. It is this image that pulls the reader into the moment with little Suzanne Rancourt. It is very casually mentioned by Rancourt that they did not have money, but that it did not matter. She is not bothered by the fact that her family cannot afford gum like the other kids and she seems to relish in what she has. She makes a big deal about how the spruce gum connects her to nature, how it was like “chewing amber” and holding “the eyes of Coyote” in their mouths. Then she goes on to describe it again as “the blood of tree,” almost as if the pleasure of chewing this golden, delicious thing was a gift or sacrifice of nature; the sacrifice of a Coyote’s eye or the gift of the tree’s blood. Rancourt also paints her father as being very connected to nature by telling us that he works in the woods and this comes up in a few other poems, one in which she describes her father speaking to the sky. It is through her poetry that Suzanne Rancourt stays so connected to her culture and to their relationship with nature. Suzanne wants to share with the world both where she comes from and where she has gone in life, all in the effort to keep alive the traditions, memories, and experiences that have defined her and her people. Works Cited Archuleta, Elizabeth. “Billboard In The Clouds.“ World Literature Today 80.3 (2006): 74. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. Birns, Nicholas. “The Other East Coast.” American Book Review 26.3 (2005): 17-20. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. “Birthing a Drum”. Heartbeat Collective. Web. Retrieved 4 April, 2013. Erdrich, Heid E., and Laura Tohe. Sister Nations: Native American Women Writers on Community. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society, 2002. Print. The Journal of Military Experience 2.2 (2012): Web. Keyser, Tom. “Even in the heat, celebration: Native American heritage group holds powwow at sweltering Route 5S site.“ Times Union (Albany, NY) 18 July 2010:Newspaper Source. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. Rancourt, Suzanne S. Billboard in the Clouds: Poems. Willimantic, CT: Curbstone, 2004. Print. Rancourt, Suzanne. “Suzanne Rancourt.” Poets & Writers. Poets & Writers, 9 July 2012. Web.
The Narragansett Dawn (1935-36)
The Narragansett Dawn was a monthly newspaper produced by members of the Narragansett tribe in Rhode Island from May 1935 through September 1936. The founders of the paper were Princess Red Wing and Ernest Hazard. They both also produced content for the paper, with Hazard often writing under the pseudonym Eagle Eye. The paper was sold for $0.25 an issue or $1.00 a year by subscription. Its cover bore the official seal of the Narragansett Tribe of Indians and the slogan “We Face East.” Through a total of seventeen issues, The Narragansett Dawn touched upon issues pertaining to the language, culture, religion, politics, and daily life of members of the Narragansett Tribe. While the exact scope of the paper’s readership is difficult to determine, letters published within it show that it attracted attention both within and without the Narragansett community. According to an editorial written by Princess Red Wing, the name The Narragansett Dawn was chosen at a tribal meeting in December 1934 in order to signify “the awakening after so long and black a night of being civilized” (“Our Purpose”). This quote begins to suggest the quietly subversive nature of the paper. The general tone of many of the articles is a sort of defiant and proud resistance to the dominant narratives about Indians in American culture at this time. Native people were often portrayed as savages who needed to be civilized by the stronger hand of white people, to be forcibly taught about Jesus, Shakespeare, and white bread in order to become worthwhile members of society. In response to this depiction of their people, Indians like the founders of the Narragansett Dawn worked to create an image of their communities as close-knit and tradition-based. Moreover, looking to the future, George D. Jordan insisted that, “to preserve the best that was and now is in this culture shall be the primary function of this organization” (“The American Indian”). The Narragansett Dawn was both a way for Red Wing and Hazard to do this in the present and a platform through which they could call upon other Native people and allies to do so in the future. History This sort of resistance to the hegemony of white American culture is perhaps explained by a consideration of the history of the Narragansett tribe. The Narragansett tribe was a prominent nation of Native people in Rhode Island and other parts of New England before the arrival of European settlers in the 1600’s. Their cultural values and way of life led them to resist the influence of English settlers in very “passive” ways. Unlike the Pequot nation, who challenged the English in direct combat, the Narragansett people rebelled against the English by going to other tribes and keeping them from signing treaties with the English (Boissevain). They also teamed up with the Dutch to resist the English in 1653. Because of these trends in their history, the Narragansett nation become intermingled with many different bloodlines. For instance, Princess Red Wing, one of the founders of The Narragansett Dawn, was actually only half Narragansett; her mother was Wampanoag (Poon). Partially because of the ubiquity of this blood mingling, the Narragansett tribe was particularly susceptible to the trend of detribalization in the late 1800s. The General Allottment Act, passed in 1887, distributed land previously held by the tribe to settlers and forced many Narragansett people to leave Rhode Island. In addition, the state of Rhode Island claimed that the blood of the members of the Narragansett tribe was not pure enough for them to ever become federally recognized (Geake). In 1934, just before the launch of the Narragansett Dawn, the United States federal government issued the Indian Reorganization Act, which allowed tribes to make claims to land and govern themselves. Since this seemed to reverse some of the effects of the General Allottment Act, the Narragansett Tribe began to believe that they could regain a sense of their own communal identity. Political activists from the Narragansett community spoke out in hopes of reawakening the spirit of their people, who had been so long oppressed and diminished. One such activist was Princess Red Wing, who held tribal events out of her home and initiated the publication of The Narragansett Dawn. In the editorials she wrote for the paper, she invoked the Narragansett people’s pride in response to governmental claims regarding their ancestry and purity. The Narragansett Dawn was therefore a manifestation of a mounting sense of community among the Narragansett people in the 1930’s, as well as a sort of throwback to the passive resistance the tribe championed in its earlier days. Structure The Narragansett Dawn was broken into multiple sections, which varied from issue to issue. There were many that were consistent, though. One such section was the Narragansett Tongue, which contained lessons on common vocabulary, such as the names of animals, plants, and types of buildings, in the Narragansett language. A total of thirteen lessons were produced. Another section was Genealogy, which traced the lineage, both paternal and maternal, of significant figures in the Narragansett community. The paper also contained a section that was first named Greetings From Friends and later changed to the Narragansett Mailbox. It was similar to a "letter to the editor" section and contained letters written to the newspaper by its readers, both Indian and non-Indian. The letters mostly served to praise the paper or the tribe, or to express solidarity with its aim of stirring up a sense of community among the Narragansett. The paper also featured identity sections, which described Narragansett items and values that displayed their cultural identity. They appear with varying titles pertaining to the topic, such as "Narragansett Fires" and "Pipe of Peace." There was also a section called Milestones that contained small bits of news, such as the announcement of births, deaths, weddings, and notable visits, that occurred in and around the Narragansett reservation in Rhode Island. There was also a news section called Sunrise News that was written for each issue by the Keeper of Records, a woman named Marion W. Brown. This section contained information on small, notable things that had taken place in the Narragansett community in each respective month. The paper also printed short articles on history, offering a Narragansett perspective on historical events such as the first Thanksgiving and King Phillip’s War. There was also a decent amount of origin Indian poetry published in The Narragansett Dawn. These poems were usually quite short and often dealt with themes related to Narragansett culture and values, religion, and nature. An excerpt from one poem: "All that eye and heart could own / Rich domains to roam at will / When the morning sun went down / See him on his eastern hill” (“The Indian”). This poem, written by a poet called Flying Squirrel, presents an image of pre-colonial Narragansett life as idyllic and profoundly in touch with the natural world. Yet it also laments that this lifestyle is no longer possible after the past three hundred years of history: “Oh his Golden Age hath vanished / Like the moonlight from the hill” (“The Indian”). It therefore presents a less optimistic tone than much of the rest of The Narragansett Dawn, which is focused on the idea of reestablishing a sense of Narragansett identity and preserving the culture for posterity. Works Cited "The American Indian." The Narragansett Dawn. Feb 1936. Retrieved 22 April 2013. Boissevain, Ethel. "Narragansett Survival: A Study of Group Persistence Through Adapted Traits". Ethnohistory 6 (4): 347. Retrieved 15 April 2013. Geake, Robert A. (2011). A History of the Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island: Keepers of the Bay. Charleston, SC: The History Press. pp. 126–128. "The Indian". The Narragansett Dawn. Aug 1936. Retrieved 5 April 2013. "Our Purpose". The Narragansett Dawn. Sept. 1936. Retrieved 5 April 2013. Poon, Chris (12 Jul 2003). "Princess Red Wing: Preserver of Native American Traditions". Providence Journal. Redwing, Princess and Ernest Hazard. “The Narragansett Dawn". URI Digital Commons. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
Graham Hayslip, UNH 2013 Katie Gardner, UNH 2014 Ray Hebert, UNH 2014
Linda Coombs* is program director of the Aquinnah Cultural Center. She is an author and historian from the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah). Life & Career Born and raised in Martha's Vineyard, Coombs lives with her family in the Wampanoag Community in Mashpee on Cape Cod. After she graduated from University of Massachusetts at Lowell in 1971 with a degree in music education, Coombs began a museum career in 1974, interning at the Boston Children's Museum as part of its Native American Program. She and her peers, including Narragansett elder Paulla Dove Jennings, wrote children's books for the museum, illustrating Native American culture from a Native American perspective. Coombs later worked for nearly three decades with the Wampanoag Indigenous Program at Plimoth Plantation, including 15 years as the program's associate director. Writing Her children's book, Powwow, was published in 1992 by Modern Curriculum Press under their Multicultural Celebrations series; it chronicles the experiences of a Native American girl at her first powwow. The book is 23 pages long and is illustrated by Carson Waterman. Additionally, through her work at Plimoth Plantation, Coombs wrote a number of essays documenting colonial history from a Native American perspective. For example, at a conference on Thanksgiving, she stated, The actual and factual history of Thanksgiving in this country will be discussed: the European origins, views and practices, and how it evolved into the holiday it has become today. Many people don’t realize that thanksgiving was not a new concept to Native people. … Native people have held thanksgiving ceremonies since the time of Creation. The energy of lifeways of acknowledgement and thankfulness is what sustained Native culture for millennia. Coombs strives to promote truth, authenticity and cultural sensitivity. In 2008, she received some media attention when she asked a nine-year-old girl to remove her indian costume before entering the Wampanoag site at Plimoth. When the child cried, Coombs gave her a necklace from the gift shop as a token of reconciliation. “Costumes are offensive because of what has happened in history,” Coombs explained; “we’re trying to educate people about our culture and to correct stereotypes and wrong information, we’re here to make a bridge between people, not to just send them packing." Coombs is passionate about educating the public about myths concerning not only Wampanoag culture and traditions, but those of all Native People. Her goal is set on continuing to educate the public about Wampanoag history, culture, and other contributions and to present their nearly-forgotten traditional skills and technologies of her 17th century ancestors as authentically as possible. The material history of her research includes traditional wetu (house) construction, mat weaving, pottery, deerskin clothing, twined woven baskets, gardening, and foodways. Community is the Wampanoag way. According to archeological records, the Wampanoag have been around for at least 12,000 years. They did not maintain their culture that long without work. But the Wampanoag have undergone a difficult history through colonization, and are now divided into separate tribal communities. Re-linking those communities together is a way of preserving the ancestral homelands and Wampanoag culture. As Coombs puts it in "A Wampanoag Perspective," For many people in this country, the word “colonization” often seems to slide glibly off the tongue; and when it is used, the full aspects of its meaning are not recognized. … The deeper, dark meanings of the word have been “bred” out of American history. However, people still carry associated attitudes and behaviors that go unrecognized for what they actually are. Coombs understands the importance of preserving her culture and making certain that the lives of her ancestors are not forgotten; she has dedicated her career to this cause and wants to share it with the world. "The people today are the windows to the past if one knows how to navigate." -Linda Coombs *This article began as a biographical profile for Wikipedia. Thanks to Linda Coombs for her input and feedback on that article as well as this one. Writings by Linda Coombs “A Wampanoag Perspective on Colonial House.”Plimoth Life, v.3 no. 1, 2004: 24-28. “Hobbamock’s Homesite.” Thanks, But No Thanks: Mirroring the Myth: Native Perspectives on Thanksgiving. Plymouth, MA: Wampanoag Indian Program. September 9, 2000: 2-3. "Holistic History." Plimoth Life 1(2) 2002:12-15. “New Woodland Path Makes Inroads at Wampanoag Homesite.” Plimoth Life, v. 5 no. 1, 2006: 20. "Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War." Cultural Survival Quarterly, Spring 2007. Powwow. Modern Curriculum Press, 1992. “Wampanoag Foodways in the 17th Century." Plimoth Life 2005: 13-19 Other Works Cited “Artists and Craftspeople Sought for Directory of Native American Artists Living in New England.” Akwesasne Notes. January 31, 1992. Dresser, Tom. The Wampanoag Tribe of Martha’s Vineyard: Colonization to Recognition. The History Press, 2011. Fifis, Fran. “Native Americans Still Fighting Ignorance at Plimoth.” CNN Travel. November 28, 2008. Accessed May 5, 2013. First Thanksgiving - Boston City Hall Linda Coombs 4/4, 2010. “Kids Told Not to Dress as ‘Indians’ at Plimoth Plantation | CNS News.” November 26, 2008. Accessed April 23, 2013.
Joan Tavares Avant is a Mashpee Wampanoag elder, historian, and writer who works to promote an accurate representation of her Mashpee Wampanoag culture and heritage. Family From the day of her birth on April 14, 1940 until today, Joan Tavares Avant has lived in Mashpee, Massachusetts. As she puts it: “I was born in Mashpee as a Mashpee Wampanoag, Why would I want to leave?” She is the granddaughter of revered Mashpee Wampanoag Elder Mabel Pocknett Avant, in whose ancestral home now resides the Mashpee Wampanoag Historical Museum, of which Avant has been the past director of. She is mother to four children, grandmother to five grand-children, great grandmother to 3 great grandchildren, and has two un-adopted adult children, all which she loves dearly. She is also one of seven clan mothers, the Deer clan mother of her tribe. Granny Squannit Granny Squannit is one of the oldest Wampanoag legends. An old medicine woman with long black hair covering the single eye in her forehead, she snatches away children who misbehave, taking them away in her canoe to her cave in Cummaquid to scare them into being good. However, Granny Squannit also has a benevolent side, giving presents to good children and guiding sailors who leave her gifts. Every Halloween, Avant dresses up as Granny and greets (often scaring them in the process) Mashpee children as they walk through the woods. After playing Granny Squannit for adults, children and organizations and keeping her alive through writings for 20 years, Avant was given “Granny Squannit” as her native name from their tribal medicine man. She continues to write articles on Granny Squannit, even having her own column titled “Tales from Granny Squannit” in the Mashpee Enterprise in recent years. She also has a black and white tattoo of Granny Squannit on her right arm Education Unlike some of her author peers, Avant did not enter college immediately after high school, finding it hard to be accepted to a university because of her Native status, as well as financial difficulties. She finally received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Services from the University of Massachusetts Boston in 1993, at the age of 53. Two years later, she earned her Master’s degree in Education from Cambridge College, and presently is working on a Doctoral Degree in Education at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Avant believes that “it is never too late to learn, age is but a number.” For 26 years, she was the Director of Indian Education for the Mashpee Public School district. She worked to provide guidance and promote cultural awareness to local Wampanoag students and teachers, as well as to provide school day-care and tutoring services. Finding the Mative history taught to schoolchildren biased and inaccurate, she also worked with both Native and non-Native educators to create a curriculum that highlighted local Wampanoag elders, culture, history, legends, and values. In 1993, the Falmouth Affirmative Action Committee recognized her for this work. Community Involvement Avant has been tribal president for three terms, as well as tribal historian for four. She is currently a member of the Mashpee Historical Commission, as well as a member of the Mittark Committee, which publishes the Nashauonk Mittark (the monthly Mashpee Wampanoag newsletter). She is also a member of Wampanoag Language Reclamation Project, which since 1993 has worked to teach Native children the Wampanoag language, which has had no known native speakers for six generations. In November 2012, CBS News interviewed her about the project. Writing Avant is also a writer for the Mashpee Enterprise, writing about Mashpee Wampanoag affairs and contributing her own column, "Tales from Granny Squannit." Her journalistic style often shows up in her book, People of the First Light. She begins each section of her book with the sentence “Let’s be Frank about this,” a line in remembrance of her son, but also a good euphemism for her writing. She uses a straightforward, blunt manner to presents her facts, and unapologetically expresses her opinion: There are people who still believe only that the Wampanoag met the Pilgrims and helped them through the first winter…and later fell off the face of Mother Earth. Rarely is it mentioned that we were here 12,000 years before any newcomers arrived. The entire realm of opinion has been that we have been here since the celebration of Thanksgiving in 1620…These are facts and not myths; they were challenging for our people then and continue to challenge us even today. Also, my view is this: just because leaders of this country such as Henry Laurens (President of the Continental Congress), George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and others who set certain dates for Thanksgiving does not mean that they were the first to think of such a celebration. People of the First Light took two years for Avant to finish. She self- published it in 2010. She was inspired to write after finding the Native perspective lacking in her own tribal history; decribing non-Native writing about her people, she remarks that it's “insulting and it hurts,” though it makes “millions of [dollars] off the backs of our ancestors and all our tribal people.” Having lived in Mashpee all her life, and having done tribal interviews and research, there was never any difficulty in finding things to include; in fact, she often found herself with more than she could incorporate. Avant says that the most difficult part was writing the proposal for funding; the rest, such as structure and selection of works, came naturally via cultural experience and indigenous insight. She wants to remind people, through her book and other works, that “We are still here.” Works Cited P. Stone, R. MacKenzie (1990). The Excluded Past: Archaeology in Education. Google Books: Unwin Hyman Ltd. p. 123 Avant, Joan Tavares. “Now, And Always, Wampanoag.” Cultural Survival. N.p., 26 05 2010. Web. 23 Mar 2013. Avant, Joan Tavares. People of the First Light: Wisdoms of a Mashpee Wampanoag Elder. Mashpee: 2010. Print "Special Election Candidates." Nashauonk Mittark. 12 2009: 4. Web. 9 May. 2013. Tavares-Avant , Joan. E-mail Interview. Apr 2013.
About Mihku Paul is a Native American Maliseet poet, writer, visual artist, and activist. She is a member of Kingsclear First Nation, N.B., Canada and holds a BA in Human Development and Communication from the University of Southern Maine. Paul then received an MFA in Creative Writing from Stonecoast at the University of Southern Maine. Born on December 4th, 1958 Paul grew up in Old Town, Maine, along the Penobscot River. Her mother was born an hour and 45 minutes north in Houlton, Maine where the Houlton Band of Maliseets is located. The Maliseet Tribe is also known as the Wolastoqiyik Tribe. Paul, the youngest of four children was the only one in her family to complete high school. Starting a year late in her schooling, Paul didn’t struggle to catch up and ended up completed school a year early. Early Life Her grandfather, a Maliseet elder, was instrumental in passing on tradition and cultural knowledge to Paul. Being the youngest of all her siblings, Paul’s mother stressed the need for Paul to know this history so it wouldn’t get lost in through generations. Paul’s grandfather lived on Penosbscot Indian Island Reservation near Old Town. Here Paul spent much of her childhood where she watched her grandfather watercraft, hunt, and trap. She would miss many days of school at a time while she was out on the river with her grandfather on expeditions. Though Paul lived near a reservation, hey family didn’t grow up on one due to the lack of programs dealing with infrastructure and housing. It wasn’t until after the civil rights movement during the 1960’s that those programs were beginning to be put into place. Though she lived off the reservation, conditions weren’t much better for her family as Paul grew up in a very poor neighborhood. When Paul was on the reservation she felt safe and accepted, but when she had to leave and interact, like in the public schools, that became problematic. Though she wasn’t the only Native American to attend public schools, the group of kids that did attend got bullied. Along with being harassed by the non-native students, the native students also picked on Paul due to her lighter skin completion. Her Work Motivated by her own unsatisfactory experiences of primary and secondary education in Maine, and by her experiences of racism and discrimination as a mixed-blood Maliseet woman, Paul has worked for more than two decades to better endow teachers in the state system. This work includes curriculum enrichment that focuses on Waponahki cultural views of unity and support, as well as language arts and the connection of native language to the study and charting of North America. Paul also works with children in the Portland school district, which she has been persistently doing for over twenty years on the complicated cultural, political, and social accounts of the lives of native peoples in the 21st century. Paul also has interactive storytelling sessions surrounding Waponahki legends, and assists students with art projects by intertwining conceptual principles along with practical design. Along with Paul’s storytelling and curriculum enhancements, she also involves her art and poetry to help educate non-native people about the condition of Waponahki people in the Northeast. Outside the classroom Paul’s poetry and art support diversity projects, events, and have been instillations in various museums. Visual Arts Paul is a contemporary artist and writer with traditional roots, seamlessly combining the modern world with her legacy. Paul appreciates traditional Native American arts but doesn’t have a niche for it; rather she is trying to bring her Native identity forward into the contemporary moment, and is trying to use her art as a way to bridge that into the twenty-first century. Paul has had no formal education in visual arts, just her creativity, heritage, and passion for education. Paul is particularly interested in pattern and color relationships and works with pen and ink, watercolor, gouache and mixed media collage. Paul’s first multi-media installation “Look Twice: The Waponahki in Image & Verse,” went on exhibit in October 2009 at the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, Maine. The exhibit is a compilation of twelve panels that combine archival images of Waponahki history and culture with original poems that are designed to facilitate the governing look at Native people in this region. Colorful medicine wheels are intermingled throughout the exhibit, merged with conceptual water shapes to evoke the flow of time, memory and the St. John river. Publications Paul got to share her storytelling, talent for poetry, feelings on her education, and the plight of being Native American in her first chapbook, 20th Century PowWow Playland, published in 2012. This chapbook is a compilation of poems in which the Maliseet lands are at points inventively populated with not just, “the ghosts of half a millennium” but also with “those who remain”. As Mihku Paul remains in these lands, her opposing thoughts on settler colonization are not quieted, as she believes in the rights and continuation of indigenous people in the northeast. Paul’s poems clearly give a voice to those whose words have been silenced in the holocaust of colonization and displacement. Paul talks widely on her dissatisfaction of the education she received in the Maine public school system. In the poem “Jefferson Street School” (9) in 20th Century PowWow Playland, Paul speaks as a “kindergarten captive” who is forced to memorize and recite the “invader’s language” and partisan cultural perspective, which evidently captures and details this disillusionment. Paul tends to lead toward lyricism when it comes to her poems and Paul credits her love for the way language sounds and her talent at storytelling to her grandfather. He would spend hours with Paul telling her stories and teach her certain things in dialect. Paul’s 34 poems delve into this thought of multiple identities; how Paul is a “child of all worlds, child of no world”. (Totem, pg. 40) Paul’s `Amerindia’ reads, “Those hybrids” meaning Native and American are “encased in this new-made flesh”, meaning stuck and split. She ends on the question of what to do with these shattered pieces of glass, (from their original lifestyle) and what to do with what is now being presented to them, “this new fruit”. (53) In history we see this wonder of identity and the role security and money play a role in this. The reservation’s conditions prior to 1980 were disconcerting and in a way forced natives to live elsewhere and find jobs outside the community. On October 10th, 1980 the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act was passed which granted the Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, and Maliseet tribe $81,500,000. This act proved that there were treaty issues and that the federal government owed the tribe’s money and land, which assisted the tribes to improve conditions on the reservations. Due to this assistance many people who had left the reservation to find jobs moved back. This wave of native people included many youth who had spent much of their life disconnected from the reservation. Paul currently resided in Portland, Maine and teaches creative writing at the Maine Women Writers Collection at the University of New England. Works Cited Paul, Mihku. "The Work of Mihku Paul." The Work of Mihku Paul. Mihku Paul. 25 Apr. 2013 "Abbe Museum: Look Twice Evokes New Thoughts About History." Web log post. ABBE MUSEUM: Look Twice Evokes New Thoughts About History. Ed. Abbe Museum. 2 Oct. 2009. 25 Apr. 2013 Bryant, Rachel. "Mihku Paul." New Brunswick Literary Encyclopedia. 2011. New Brunswick Literary Encyclopedia. 25 Apr. 2013 "Indigenous New England Literature." Rev. of Mihku Paul’s first chapbook. Web log post. Indigenous New England Literature. 2 Nov. 2012. 25 Apr. 2013 Panepinto, Lisa. "Renewing Images: Mihku Paul Interview." River pine anthology of civic discourse. 14 Sept. 2012. River Pine Anthology of Civic Discourse. 25 Apr. 2013 Paul, Mihku. 20th Century PowWow Playland. 978-1-105-78610-5. Greenfield Center, NY: Bowman Books, 2012. Teeter, Karl. Tales From Maliseet Country. Nebraska: University of Nebraska, 2007.