Dear friends,
“History is a narrative… a collection of stories sanctioned by the ruling power, and reinforced through words and images that suit them. That was the whole point of taking on history painting: to authorize these moments that have been swept under the rug for generations.”
–Kent Monkman, Cree artist and activist
This quote comes from an article highlighting a 2017 exhibit by First Nations artist Kent Monkman, who built his career defying sanitized and falsified “official histories” that are often told through a Euro-centric lens. As you surely know, this practice is unfortunately common throughout the world.
If you studied history in an American public school, you were likely taught an inaccurate and one-sided version of what transpired when European settlers came to North America and stole lands from the Indigenous peoples, leading to death and displacement, and a tragic erasure of customs, traditions, languages, and communities. Many Americans incorrectly think of Native Americans as a part of history, when in fact, Indigenous families today are thriving and working hard to protect their traditions, raise awareness of their culture, and ensure this history is not lost for future generations.
Since November is Native American Heritage Month in the United States, it’s an ideal time to honor the inspiring Indigenous educators and scholars running the Tomaquag Museum in Exeter, Rhode Island. Founded in 1958 by anthropologist Eva Butler and Princess Red Wing (Narragansett and Wampanoag), the museum is one of the oldest and most well-respected tribal museums in the country–as evidenced by the National Medal of Museum and Library Services it received in 2016 from first lady Michelle Obama (the highest honor for a museum; they’re the only Rhode Island institution to have received one).
The Museum endeavors to accomplish their catchphrase, “A visit to Tomaquag would change your mind and heart.” Since its founding, it has been Indigenous-led and -staffed, and information about the artifacts is accentuated by the powerful personal stories and experiences of the educators, who are happy to share what it is like to be Indigenous in today’s America. Visitors come in with their own preconceived notions and stereotypes, and leave changed for the better.
I witnessed this authenticity myself on a recent visit during the Museum’s annual Strawberry Thanksgiving celebration. I watched as tour guide Lynsea Montanari, who is the coordinator of the Museum’s Indigenous Empowerment Center (IEC) skillfully and gently handled insensitive questions from non-Indigenous visitors who were visiting for the first time, and provided an authentic personal perspective and social justice lens to educate them on the historical context of the trauma experienced through colonization, and the resiliency and healing of the Narragansett people.
I had the privilege of getting to know Lynsea and her family–the Harris family–when I was recruiting students for a Rhode Island school district in Providence in 2008. Through this role, I got to know the Nuweetoon School (for grades K-8) at the Tomaquag Museum, and its lead educator, Lorén Spears, who is Lynsea’s aunt. (Today, the Tomaquag Museum is thriving and planning for expansion under Lorén’s leadership as executive director.) In this family, I saw incredible strength, intelligence, and pride as they worked to spread awareness of the Narragansett and Wampanoag people.
I was thrilled to learn recently that the Tomaquag Museum is planning for a new campus (learn more on their website and via the Providence Journal) that will expand their capacity to educate, empower and engage. The expansion will not only drastically increase their footprint and ability to educate, but also increase the opportunities they already have available for the Indigenous community–such as offering internships and fellowships, art residencies, wellness programming, entrepreneurship conferences, and training.
This brings the Museum—and the wonderful people who work there as dedicated stewards of their history–closer to their goals of justice and equity. The Seventh Generation Principle is based on an ancient Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) philosophy that states that decisions today should lead to a sustainable world for seven generations. By this decree, for all decisions we make today, we should consider the impacts that our actions will cause for the next 150 years. What better way to honor Indigenous traditions than to begin to implement this philosophy ourselves?
I’d like to suggest a few recommended actions for you:
- Consider creating a Land Acknowledgment statement for your organization in recognition of the original inhabitants of the land on which we now live and work. Read my blog post for DAIP for more info on how to create one, and why it is important.
- Support Native-led causes, such as the Tomaquag Museum. As an unaffiliated 501c3 organization, the museum needs support. Learn more about different ways to support their work here.
- Check out the Tomaquag Museum’s calendar of upcoming events and plan a visit to experience the incredible work they’re doing first-hand.
- Consider these 22 Ways to Celebrate Native American Heritage Month–for the month of November, and throughout the rest of the year.
I hope to leave you with a better awareness of the incredible work being done by local Indigenous educators–so together we can set the stage for seven generations of improved awareness, collaboration, and hopefully reconciliation between Rhode Islanders and our Indigenous neighbors on whose land we currently reside.
In solidarity,
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Patricia Holliday DAIP Board of Directors Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program
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This year’s theme is A Slow Burn: Fanning the Flames of Sustainable DEIJ.
If our passion for this work is represented by a flame, we’re asking each of you to consider—what fans the flame for you? What inspires you to keep going? How do you protect your own well-being, and stand in solidarity with those around you? How can you sustain this flame so it’s strong and steady, yet not too hot?
Moderated by Kevin Matta, our panel will be made up of leaders from a variety of industries and perspectives to explore what goes into creating a workplace where all employees are set up to thrive. Panelists include Adama Brown, PhD (United Way of Rhode Island), Gregory Brunson (Butler Hospital), and Orlena Cowan-Bailey, SPHR, SHRM-SCP (senior leader, speaker, DEI & culture consultant).
This dynamic group will discuss topics such as:
- How to create a workplace culture where the burden of DEI work is shared.
- How to approach your DEI plan as a long-term destination instead of a short-term checklist.
- Tips for incorporating mental health and wellness support to sustain your practitioners.
- And more.
This program has been submitted for HRCI and SHRM CE credits.
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Community Updates and Events
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Here is a roundup of events hosted by DAIP, our partners, or like-minded organizations.
(In-person) Sunday, October 22nd, 1 - 3 p.m. The Jamestown Arts Center will host Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead): A Celebration of Life! Workshop. This two-hour workshop will educate on the beautiful celebration that takes place each year on November 2nd–where the guests of honor just happen to be dead. You’ll learn how ancient Mesoamerican traditions became what we now call Day of the Dead, and make your own traditional ofrenda items (including tissue paper flowers, paper masks, and banners) to take home to create your own ofrenda. $25/individual, or $55/household. Kids under 4 are free.
(In-person) Tuesday, October 24th, 5 p.m. The Providence Public Library will host an event with author Dr. Juliet Hooker, to discuss her latest book, Black Grief/White Grievance: The Politics of Loss. There will be a Q&A and book signing. Free and open to the public.
(In-person) Friday, October 27th, 6 p.m. Join RIBBA for their 2023 Annual Awards Gala. There will be a speaking program to honor this year’s winners, time for networking, a cocktail hour, and dinner. RIBBA’s largest annual fundraising event attracts over 500 guests from across the state, including business owners, corporate leaders, professionals, state and local representatives and other stakeholders. Tickets are $125.
(In-person) Thursday, October 26th, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. The Brown Center for Students of Color, the Ivy Film Festival, and Fashion @ Brown are proud to present a screening of the film INVISIBLE BEAUTY, along with a post-screening conversation with co-directors and screenwriters Bethann Hardison and Frédéric Tcheng. This memoir of fashion pioneer Bethann Hardison shines a spotlight on an influential fashion icon who has pushed the boundaries of fashion culture as a pioneering Black model, modeling agent and entrepreneur. Free and open to the public.
(In-person) Saturday, November 18th, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Mystic Seaport Museum will host an Indigenous Craft Fair to support Indigenous artisans this Native American Heritage Month. Free admission for those with a tribal ID, museum members, and included with general admission for non-members.
Interested in featuring your organization, event, or opportunity in DAIP’s Community Updates & Events? Reach out to information@daip.us to learn more.
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Here are resources to drive your continued learning and growth.
READ this detailed Ocean State Stories Q & A with Lorén Spears, executive director of Tomaquag Museum. The interview covers the mission and history of Rhode Island’s award-winning Tomaquag Museum, Indigenous Empowerment Center, and Museum Shop featuring Indigenous artists. Learn about what the Museum has accomplished in 20 years, and the extensive work they do to educate on Indigenous cultures of the Dawnland (Southern New England) through engagement and shared dialogue to reconcile the past and empower present and future generations.
READ The Tomaquag Museum Edition of A Key into the Language of America. First published in 1643, this book is one of the most important artifacts of early Indigenous American culture, as Roger Williams recorded the day-to-day experience of the Narragansett people in their own words. This edition includes cultural commentary provided by the Narragansett tribal community as well as modern linguistic information provided by a leading authority in the study of American Indian languages.
READ “Rhode Island Trail Honors Ellison “Tarzan” Brown of the Narragansett Tribe” from Runner’s World. The Nature Conservatory of Rhode Island and the Charlestown Parks and Recreation Commission recently named a trail after Brown and commemorated it with a plaque, as the two-time Boston Marathon champion and Olympian lived and trained in Rhode Island.
READ Why is Indigenous People’s Day Replacing Columbus Day? for a discussion of why Columbus Day is controversial, the history of Indigenous People’s day, and how this shift presents an opportunity to start teaching a more accurate version of the history surrounding Columbus’s arrival, colonization, and its impact on Indigenous peoples
WATCH Being Thunder, the moving and deeply affecting portrait of a Two Spirit genderqueer teenager from Rhode Island’s Narragansett tribe, Sherenté Mishitashin Harris. Director Stéphanie Lamorré captures Sherenté’s quest for greater gender inclusivity in the competitive and traditionally female fancy shawl dance. Available on Apple TV and iTunes.
WATCH “6 Stories Celebrating Native American History and Culture.” From cuisine to code talkers, from art to eagle feathers, this reel celebrates Native American history and culture on Turtle Island, now widely known as the United States.
WATCH Season 1 and Season 2 of Native America, a PBS series that challenges everything we thought we knew about the Americas before and since contact with Europe. It travels through 15,000-years to showcase massive cities, unique systems of science, art, and writing, and 100 million people connected by social networks and spiritual beliefs spanning two continents.
LISTEN to Lynsea Montanari sing a traditional song in front of the famous mural in downtown Providence, Gaia’s “Still Here.” Lynsea is an Indigenous artist, Tomaquag Museum educator, and the famous face depicted in the mural.
LISTEN to Lorén Spears, citizen of the Narragansett Nation and executive director of the Tomaquag Museum, give a TEDxURI talk, Climate Change: An Indigenous Perspective. Spears shares important insights from Indigenous ways of knowing, and stresses that environmental justice equal Indigenous rights.
LISTEN to Speaking Our Truth, Podcast for Change from the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center. The podcast emphasizes that safety and justice require action, and aims to use the group’s collective voices to engage and influence change for Native women.
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Thank you to the volunteers who contributed their time & expertise to this issue: Patricia Holliday, Jenny Bautista-Ravreby, Deb Wallace, Megan Begin, Theresa Barzyk, Osmary Rodriguez Barker, and Katie Neves.
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