Dr. David Weed, Coordinator of the Sowams Heritage Area Project, met with children at the Summer Day Camp at Burr’s Hill Park in Warren, RI on August 6, 2021. There, he talked about the history of the Pokanoket People who established a Royal Burial Site at the Park in the 16th century where it is believed that the Massasoit Ousamequin was buried in 1661. Click here for a 13-minute video of his talk. Click here for a pdf of the handout. Click here for a page describing Pokanoket Heritage Day held on August 8th.

Camp staff lead over fifty campers to the site of the historic marker that was placed in the Park in 2020 to describe the history of the location and of the tribe that has occupied this land for over 8,000 years.

Campers read the marker, many for the first time, in preparation for the talk that Dr. Weed was about to give in which posed questions from information on the marker.

A group of about 50 younger children and about 40 older campers and staff gather around a picnic table near the marker to listen to Dr. Weed. A Pokanoket Heritage Day program was planned to take place in the Park two days after his presentation.