Narragansett powwow coming, August 8-9

 

Tomaquag Museum presents July 27 lunch program on sovereignty with Linda Coombs

Long denied to the Narragansetts, sovereignty is a core issue for indigenous people

From the museum

We will discuss the actual meaning of sovereignty, what it was for our ancestors, and how we carry and enact it in the world we live in today.

Linda is a member of the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe on Martha's Vineyard, and has lived in Mashpee for more than 40 years. Her two grandchildren are enrolled with the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, as was their father and grandfather.

She worked for 45 years as a museum educator, and spent 11 years total at the Boston Children's Museum, 30 years in the Wampanoag Indigenous Program at Plimoth Plantation, and 9 years at the Aquinnah Cultural Center, a house museum built by an Aquinnah Wampanoag man, and showing that history.

She's been an interpreter, an artisan, a researcher; led workshops and teacher institutes; written children's stories and articles on various aspects of Wampanoag history and culture; and developed and worked on all aspects of a wide variety of exhibits.

The goal of all of her work continues to be the communication of accurate and appropriate representations about the history, cultures, and people of the Wampanoag and other Indigenous nations.

May 27 puppet show

Remember The Way puppet show with Heather Henson

At the Cross Mills Library by the Tomaquag Museum

“Where water flows and creatures return, balance is remembered.”

Join Heather Henson in connecting to your local land and waterways. Participants will employ kinetic learning to explore planetary movements and seasonal rhythms. Together, we will journey through the interconnected waterways and shifting landscapes of the planet guided by the cultural keystone animals; Whales, Cranes, Sturgeon, and Bison.

Rep. Spears honors great-nephew of Ellison ‘Tarzan’ Brown for completion of Boston Marathon

Congratulations Thawn 

The House approved a resolution from Rep. Tina L. Spears honoring the great-nephew of Ellison “Tarzan” Brown for his completion of the Boston Marathon 90 years after Brown’s first Boston Marathon victory.

Thawn Sherenté Harris of Charlestown completed the marathon in an official time of 3 hours, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds, making him the third member of the Narragansett Tribe to complete the race and giving him the second-fastest recorded time among the tribe.

The resolution (2026-H 8539) sponsored by Representative Spears (D-Dist. 36, Charlestown, New Shoreham, South Kingstown, Westerly) declared that “Ellison ‘Tarzan’ Brown rose to national prominence in the 1930s, winning the Boston Marathon in 1936 and again in 1939, and competing in the 1936 Olympic Games, while bringing recognition and pride to the Narragansett people. 

Tarzan Brown’s 1936 victory included his legendary passing of race favorite Johnny Kelley on the hills of Newton, an iconic moment that gave rise to what is now known as ‘Heartbreak Hill.’ In completing the Boston Marathon, Thawn symbolically followed in his great-uncle’s footsteps along that same historic stretch, retracing the site of one of Brown's most celebrated achievements.”

Tomaquag Museum’s New Exhibition

"Revolution to Reclamation, Freedom through Indigenous Sovereignty"

Tomaquag Museum's new exhibit, "Revolution to Reclamation, Freedom through Indigenous Sovereignty" opened on April 22nd to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the United States. 

While the American Revolution serves as a historical focal point, the exhibit moves beyond commemoration to connect the past with the present through an exploration of land, freedom, responsibility, and enduring Indigenous presence.

This exhibition represents the first complete transformation of the museum's gallery space since 1996. Executive Director Lorén Spears encourages past visitors to return, noting that many will scarcely recognize the reimagined space. 

Designers at SmokeSygnals have reshaped the gallery through innovative exhibit fabrication and immersive design. At its center is a striking art installation of life-sized figures set against a watercolor forest, creating a visual anchor while emphasizing the enduring connection between Indigenous peoples and the land. 

As Spears explains, "We are the land, the land is us. What we do to the land, we do to ourselves. This is ancient wisdom passed down through our ancestors".

March 24: Discussion with indigenous author at Tomaquag

Narragansett Tribe interested in acquiring possible burial site

R.I. Pond’s Drawdown Reveals What Could be Native American Burial Ground

By Dan D'Ambrosio / ecoRI News contributor

The drastically reduced water level in Old Killingly Pond has revealed a mystery site that may be a Native American burial ground, described as a rectangular area covered in stones on the Rhode Island side of the pond.

Rhode Island state archaeologist Charlotte Taylor said she has not yet been able to visit the site, which is accessible only from the Connecticut side of the pond. There are many unknowns about the site, according to Taylor, who has seen photos.

“It does not look like a typical Rhode Island Native American past period burial,” Taylor said. “These burials weren’t usually demarcated by rock piles on top in a rectangular way.”

It’s also not clear who owns the site.

“It could be private property; then it is the property of the owner of the land,” Taylor said.

Even if the site turns out to be on private property, it would still be protected by Rhode Island’s law prohibiting disturbing burial grounds, according to Taylor.

“Someone going in and digging up a possible burial would be against the law,” Taylor said.

Connecticut state archaeologist Sarah Sportman first learned of the possible burial ground in January, when she got a call from a reporter for The Day newspaper in New London.

Two re-scheduled Tomaquag Museum that were snowed out

 

January 31 Charlestown Historical Society features talk by Narragansett wampum artist Allen Hazard

 

Charlestown Historical Society Winter 2026 Happy New Year, may it be a healthy and productive one for you and your family! As we rang out 2025 in December, we shared a wonderful evening at the CHS Museum with visitors from around South County during Charlestown's Holiday Ramble. As we ring in the new year, please join us for an unforgettable presentation followed by some light refreshment and a brief annual meeting for all who wish to join in afterwards. Narragansett Allen Hazard Shares the Art of Keeping a 4,500 Year Old Tradition Alive January 31, 2026 - 1:00 PM Cross Mills Public Library  Most of you may have heard of the Purple Shell located at the Fantastic Umbrella Factory in Charlestown where owner Allen Hazard can be found crafting beautiful wampum jewelry. But how many of us know the true history and meaning of this ancient art? The Narragansett, along with many Indigenous people living along the New England coast, had robust wampum traditions. "The Narragansett were the best" says Allen. Featured in a recent RI PBS documentary, Allen is widely regarded as an expert in this ancient craft. Please join us for this remarkable presentation on January 31st.  An Ancestral Visitor Comes Back to Charlestown Imagine coming back to a land where your 8th great grandfather was born here 285 years ago, only three years after the founding of Charlesown. He built his home, farmed his land, became active in the local government and then became a captain of the local militia and fought alongside his men in state-wide battles during the Revolutionary War. Then imagine standing inside that home and feeling the presence of your ancestor, his family and their daily lives. That's exactly what Alan Greene and his wife Jeanie did this past September here in Charlestown. The Greenes traveled from their home in Roseville, California to seek out Alan's roots. CHS was grateful to share their experience as well as records of Capt. Amos Greene's life and history. Coming in March 2026, there will be more about the Captain in the CHS annual newsletter and his contribution to our country's infancy. Below, Alan stands beneath the Amos Greene plaque on the corner of his original family homestead. The home and property are owned by the Ricci family, members of the CHS. This historic property is now protected under a conservation easement with the Charlestown Land Trust. Charlestown's 250th Committee has a host of special events planned for the 2026 year ahead. Included in the festivities is a special appearance by General George Washington on Flag Day, June 14th, at the Gen. Stanton Inn with Revolutionary War demonstrations, children's activities and an inspiring fife and drum corps presentation. There will be Memorial Day Parade festivities, a time capsule dedication, Fourth of July fireworks, a local historical bike tour, children's theater presentations, a town-wide historical scavenger hunt and a sunset cemetery tour in the Cross Mills Common Burying Ground planned for all to participate in. Stay tuned to the Charlestown town website and local announcements so you don't miss out on the celebrations! We hope to see you there!  Visit our website Email Us

Charlestown Historical Society | P.O. Box 100 | Charlestown, RI 02813 US

R.I. Secretary of State Gregg Amore rejects Trump DOJ probe into R.I. voter data

Despite threats, Amore tells Pam Bondi NO to private voter information

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

Amore in Charlestown for the 350th annual
Narragansett powwow. That's him on the left

More than two months after the U.S. Department of Justice asked Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore for information about registered voters, Amore has finally responded:

No.

At least, the Trump administration won’t get anything beyond the state voter lists already publicly available — typically requested by filling out an online form and paying $25 —  though Amore indicated he will hand over the information to the Justice Department for free.

The Justice Department, which has sent similar requests to states nationwide, wanted more: Rhode Island voters’ Social Security and driver’s license numbers, even though this data is protected under state and federal laws.

“The current presidential administration has a long track record of seeking to, and in some cases, succeeding in, interfering in the operation of elections and sowing seeds of distrust between the general voting public and the very election processes that maintain and further our democracy,” Amore said in a statement Tuesday. “I will not participate in an unsubstantiated search for data and information.”

Since taking office in January, Trump has continued to promote false claims about election fraud, directing federal agencies to “scrub” voter rolls he claims are rife with noncitizens, even though documentation of noncitizen voting is extremely rare.

Amore’s refusal to comply with the federal directive comes the same day as the Justice Department sued Maine and Oregon for refusing to turn in personal information about state registered voters and applicants, along with state election administrators.

In Memoriam: David Mars, Chief Sachem, tribal official and Charlestown Council candidate

Respected Narragansett Tribe elder David Mars died on August 26 at age 87.

By Will Collette

Mr. Mars was one of the first people I interviewed after the launch of Progressive Charlestown. I spoke to him about the 2012 Charlestown Town Council election that featured notorious Charlestown curmudgeon Jim Mageau’s second attempt to redeem his 2008 loss to the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA).

At the time, Mr. Mars was running for the second time for Town Council on Mageau’s 2012 ticket and had decided prior to the General Election to withdraw his name. Mageau went on to his third defeat in a row.

Mageau picked Mr. Mars as his running mate in his 2010 comeback attempt. Mageau again came in last, this time in a field of 11 with only 520 votes, a drop of almost 40% from 2008. Mr. Mars, his running mate, barely campaigned at all, but still outpolled Mageau by 50%.

His family wrote a wonderful tribute to his life and work in the following obituary. I have rarely read an obituary that so joyfully captured a person's life - and it's also pretty funny! Please read on.

Brown historian Mack Scott seeks elusive truth about the history of blacks and indigenous people in New England

With Charlestown and Narragansett Tribal roots, he describes himself as an “actualist” (as in, “Actually, this is what happened.”)

By Kristen Curry

Historian Mack Scott ’02 describes himself as an “actualist.”
His varied research interests share a common thread—mending
ruptures in the fabric of dominant historical narratives through
stories that have been neglected or erased. His goal is a more
complete history—one that strives to document what actually happened.

Mack Scott III ’02 didn’t come to URI planning to teach.

After graduating from Chariho High School in Richmond, R.I., Scott came to URI on a football scholarship. He recalls appreciating history professor Robert Weisbord’s African American history course, even if a comment from the professor rankled some of the other football players in the class.

“If you’re at this school to play in the NFL,” Weisbord told them, “you need to take your studies seriously.”

“We were a little offended,” Scott recalls, laughing.

Later, that advice proved prophetic. Scott suffered an injury and realized he needed to reevaluate his plans. “I realized my college studies needed to be important,” he says. “This work did matter.”

Around that time, a conversation with Sharon Forleo ’72, M.A. ’94, who was then the assistant director of URI’s Talent Development (TD) program, pointed him toward a new major: education.

“Mack had, and still has, a steady, thoughtful responsiveness to things,” says Forleo, who retired from her position with TD in 2016. “He listened, and that’s an unusual youthful quality. Mack’s way of thinking and communicating is what led me to ask him about teaching.”

Scott says Forleo’s suggestion was a good one—education was a great fit for him. He enjoyed the courses and practicum, as well as the other students in the program: “I benefited as much from the students I was with as from my professors,” he notes.

Tomaquag Museum event in Charlestown August 13

Public is invited to Narragansett tribe's powwow, August 9-10

Day Two

Narragansett Tribe’s Annual Strawberry Thanksgiving Brings Family, Community Together

Celebration of life and family

By Colleen Cronin / ecoRI News staff

Dawn Spears, a Narragansett Tribe member whose
Ashawaug Farm provided some of the berries
for the event, also connects her love of nature
and her traditions to her art.
(Courtesy of Dawn Spears)

On a rainy Saturday afternoon at Ninigret Park, pops of red stood out against the overcast sky.

Strawberries in lemonade and on shortcake, along with beaded and fabric fruit sewn onto clothes, marked a special celebration for the Narragansett Indian Tribe: Strawberry Thanksgiving.

This Thanksgiving is one of 13 celebrations held with each moon of the year, said Lorén Spears, executive director of the Tomaquag Museum and a member of the Narragansett Tribe. The museum has hosted the event for many years, but the tradition itself goes back much further.

The most recent iteration of Strawberry Thanksgiving included themed food, Indigenous art booths, dancing, and talks from tribal citizens and other community members.

Despite the dreary weather, hundreds of people, Indigenous and not, attended the outdoor event.

“There’s so many people here,” Spears said. “Even with the rain … people kept coming.”

For Spears, the event is about bringing people together — to share traditions with each other and people who didn’t grow up with them.

“It’s the community,” she said. “It’s that meaning of the berry.”

Robin Spears Jr., a Narragansett artist and Lorén’s husband, agreed.

“Strawberry Thanksgiving, to me, means bringing the community together, you know, tribal community, as well as the outside, having a good time, being able to just show our artwork from all different tribes in the area,” he said.

Citizens of tribal nations from around New England also attended the event, many bringing their own art to display and sell.

June 7: Strawberry Thanksgiving at Ninigret

Congratulations to Loren Spears

Tomaquag Museum’s Lorén Spears to Be Inducted into R.I. Heritage Hall of Fame

By Colleen Cronin / ecoRI News staff

Lorén Spears will be inducted to the Rhode Island
Heritage Hall of Fame early next month.
(Courtesy of the Tomaquag Museum)

In 2019, Lorén Spears, executive director of the Tomaquag Museum, accepted Chief Sachem Ninigret’s posthumous induction to the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame.

Ninigret led the Narragansett and Niantic peoples in the 1600s when the Europeans arrived, bringing disease and violence.

To honor him, Spears performed a ceremony with her brother-in-law, who sang and played drums. Ninigret’s award is displayed at the Tomaquag Museum, so others can learn about him.

Six years later, it’s Spears’ turn to be honored as a 2025 Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame inductee.

The Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame was founded in 1965 to celebrate “any individual who has brought credit to Rhode Island, brought Rhode Island into prominence, and contributed to the history and heritage of the state.” Inductees are required to have been born in the state or to have lived, studied, or worked here for a significant amount of time.

In a recent phone interview, after Spears described attending the 2019 awards, she added “to then later be honored in the same establishment, I think that’s extremely special.”

Spears is no stranger to prestigious awards. In 2016, she accepted the National Medal for Museum and Library Service for the Tomaquag Museum, an organization that she has helped grow since she took the helm.

State grants not subject to Musk-Trump cuts made to local food producers

Narragansett Tribe, other local producers among the grantees

Rep. Teresa Tanzi, left

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announced the 2025 Local Agriculture and Seafood Act (LASA) grantees at Farm Fresh Rhode Island (FFRI) in Providence. 33 local farmers, fishers, specialty food producers received LASA grant awards, totaling $486,000 in funding for projects that will support the growth, development, and marketing of local farms, seafood harvesters, and food businesses. LASA grants support small businesses and enhance Rhode Island’s food security.

The LASA program, established in 2012 by the General Assembly and managed by DEM, is designed to support the growth and success of small food businesses in Rhode Island.

The program prioritizes building capacity for markets, connecting local farms and fishers with food-insecure communities, and supporting agriculture producers and fishers along with the development of small food enterprises.

The LASA program provides grants that directly benefit and strengthen RI’s local food system by providing funding for projects that help support the growth, development, and marketing of RI Grown produce and RI Seafood. Over the last 12 years, LASA has provided $3,111,238 through individual program grants up to $20,000 with no direct match required.

In this grant round, 33 awards were distributed across various categories, including agriculture, aquaculture, seafood or fishery-based projects, and farmers' markets that support these sectors.

Given the strong competition, the LASA committee conducted a thorough evaluation process. The goal was to ensure that funding recommendations were equitable and diverse, considering factors such as Environmental Justice alongside scores. The final list of grantees reflects the program’s commitment to expanding the scope and diversity of its awardees.

“The LASA grant program taps into our state’s incredible potential by building on our existing strengths,” said Senate Environment & Agriculture Committee Chairwoman V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown). “These grants enhance food security, boost small businesses, and make Rhode Island more sustainable and resilient. They are an investment in our people and our future, and in the agriculture and seafood industries that mean so much to our state. I am grateful to the many supporters and stakeholders who continue to make this program possible.”

“LASA grants have been instrumental in growing a robust, resilient, and sustainable local food industry in Rhode Island,” said Representative Teresa A. Tanzi (D-Dist. 34, South Kingstown, Narragansett). “This year, the Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island is receiving a grant to expand their successful seafood donation program, which does important work in my district and beyond by suppling fresh local seafood to vulnerable community members, while supporting local fishers and reducing waste by finding a home for species that are under-appreciated in the market. Another grantee is the Narragansett-based Wicked Tiny Farm, which will be improving the overall efficiency of their operation, particularly by upgrading their wash-pack and sanitation stations. Both of these projects are improving resiliency, equity, and sustainability by ensuring that we can produce and deliver food locally to those who need it.”

Master Gardeners grow Indigenous connections

Food, culture and history

Kristen Curry 

Master Gardeners from URI Cooperative Extension are growing connections with Rhode Island’s Indigenous community at the Pettaquamscutt Community Gardens, two miles from campus. Heirloom seeds harvested and saved there include Narragansett White Cap Flint Corn, Succotash Pole Beans, and Butternut Squash. (Photos Pettaquamscutt Community Gardens)

As University of Rhode Island students and employees departed campus for winter break, concluding the fall semester — and harvest season — URI’s Cooperative Extension celebrated its work partnering with Indigenous-led food sovereignty organizations.

Just two miles from campus is the Pettaquamscutt Community Gardens, a non-profit organization on Broad Rock Road in South Kingstown. The property is the site of a productive partnership between Pettaquamscutt Community Gardens, an Indigenous-led group, and the URI Master Gardener Program.

Pettaquamscutt Community Gardens is an Indigenous-led, multigenerational non-profit garden that uses traditional ancestral practices and heirloom seeds with a focus on the Three Sisters Garden: corn, beans, and squash. The project is led by Indigenous community members, including Shirley Brown, URI Master Gardener, Class of 2022, and a Narragansett Tribal elder. She’s keeping Narragansett traditions alive and well, and this year, partnering with volunteers from the URI Master Gardener Program to help support and expand the garden’s capacity.

Thanksgiving: A holiday with two decidedly different narratives

“It’s not just that this is a history. It’s a legacy that we need to reckon with.”

By Dana Richie 

As families and friends gather around warmly lit tables and celebrate Thanksgiving this Thursday by sharing turkey, mashed potatoes, and gratitude, they may want to learn the history of the holiday and its consequences from the descendants of the people who were here before the Pilgrims.

Indigenous people in North America have been celebrating thanksgivings long before the first colonial encounter.

Members of the Narragansett Nation and other tribes across the country observe 13 thanksgivings throughout the year including cranberry, green bean and maple sugar, each corresponding with the first crop of the given harvest season.

Lorén Spears, executive director of the Tomaquag Museum said that these celebrations are for “giving thanks for the bounty and the gratitude to the creator for all of the gifts of the lands and  waters, gifts that our ancestors and people today still show gratitude for.” She explained that they use the turtle shell as a calendar and the 13 thanksgivings correspond with squares in the center of the shell.

Spears said that the American Thanksgiving is fictional and does not align with any of their celebrated thanksgivings.