Sponsored by the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture at Holy Cross, this program is one of a series of four presentations that explore past and contemporary contemporary Indian/New England/U.S. relations in conjunction with the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Mayflower at Plymouth, Massachusetts.  Click here for the hour-long YouTube video of the presentation.

 

Sarah Klotz, Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and English at Holy Cross, moderated a discussion on Wampanoag Life Before the Pilgrims and introduced Kelly Wisecup, Associate Professor of English at Northwestern University and a scholar of Native American literatures, early American literatures, and science and literature in the Atlantic world.

 

Dr. Wisecup illustrated her presentation on the 17th century English view of Wampanoags with the covers of two early editions of Edward Winslow’s Good Newes from New England and John Smith’s 1616 map of New England.

 

Independent scholar and historian Linda Coombs of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head spoke about how the English misunderstood Wampanoag culture and described them as “primitive” and “backward” without ever exploring the actual wealth of knowledge and skills they possessed. She has served as Program Director of the Aquinnah Cultural Center on Martha’s Vineyard and worked nearly three decades with the Wampanoag Indigenous Program at Plimoth Plantation.