STAMP would like to acknowledge that the area on which most of its members reside and operate from — the area once called Shawmut, now called Allston or Boston — is the homeland of the Massachusett, Wampanoag, and Nipmuc Tribal People. In an effort to recognize and make changes to the dominant narrative that glorifies the colonization and genocide of Indigenous people, we propose that you who are reading this re-educate yourselves about the real history of the land you benefit from. We offer you these action items and resources as education on the histories of these tribes, and as springboards that will allow you to take action to uplift, honor, and respect the sovereignty of the Indigenous peoples that have stewarded this Shawmut land for 12,000 years:
“Recognize and make changes to the dominant narrative that glorifies the colonization and genocide of the Indigenous peoples of this area. Honoring particular colonial figures, and using problematic terms, like “Pioneer Valley,” is a reminder of the legacy of dispossession, removal, and subsequent erasure.”
“There are 6 bills that the Tribes of Massachusetts support in the State House right now that address imagery, mascots, the state flag and seal, respecting cultural heritage, tribal sovereignty, and a bill to create appropriate educational curricula for and by Indigenous people. Please contact your local legislator through MAIndigenousAgenda.org and encourage them to support these bills.”
https://doubleedgetheatre.org/land-acknowledgement
Please seek out more information about the Indigenous peoples native to your area and ask what you can do in order to support their community and their fight against years of historical erasure. https://www.nipmucnation.org
https://mashpeewampanoagtribe-nsn.gov
http://www.naicob.org/resources.html
https://www.culturalsurvival.org
http://massachusetttribe.org
