A mishoon lands on Deer Island
At the end of October, Native Americans from around Massachusetts gathered to memorialize the tragic events that passed at Deer Island, one of the Boston Harbor Islands, more than three centuries ago. Ancestors of the survivors made up a crew taking a "sacred paddle"; a fleet of traditional canoes, or mishoons, was making a 20 mile journey down the Charles River and out to Deer Island, following the path the Nipmuc people were forced along in late October of 1675 Don't know what I'm talking about? Well, you're not alone. Read the full description.
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- Native Ancestors return to Deer Island
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- Katherine Perry
At the end of October, Native Americans from around Massachusetts gathered to memorialize the tragic events that passed at Deer Island, one of the Boston Harbor Islands, more than three centuries ago. Ancestors of the survivors made up a crew taking a "sacred paddle"; a fleet of traditional canoes, or mishoons, was making a 20 mile journey down the Charles River and out to Deer Island, following the path the Nipmuc people were forced along in late October of 1675 Don't know what I'm talking about? Well, you're not alone.
Even most of its nearby neighbors don't realize that Deer Island was a Colonial internment camp for native peoples. In 1675, during King Phillip's War, Massachusetts colonists, fearing the native people would join with enemy troops, rounded up the Nipmuc people of Natick and surrounding towns and brought them in chairs to Deer Island, where they were left for dead.
And the intervening centuries have not shone a bright light on this chapter of Boston's history.
Katherine Perry reports on the forgotten history of Deer Island.
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Piece Description
At the end of October, Native Americans from around Massachusetts gathered to memorialize the tragic events that passed at Deer Island, one of the Boston Harbor Islands, more than three centuries ago. Ancestors of the survivors made up a crew taking a "sacred paddle"; a fleet of traditional canoes, or mishoons, was making a 20 mile journey down the Charles River and out to Deer Island, following the path the Nipmuc people were forced along in late October of 1675 Don't know what I'm talking about? Well, you're not alone.
Even most of its nearby neighbors don't realize that Deer Island was a Colonial internment camp for native peoples. In 1675, during King Phillip's War, Massachusetts colonists, fearing the native people would join with enemy troops, rounded up the Nipmuc people of Natick and surrounding towns and brought them in chairs to Deer Island, where they were left for dead.
And the intervening centuries have not shone a bright light on this chapter of Boston's history.
Katherine Perry reports on the forgotten history of Deer Island.
Intro and Outro
INTRO:At the end of October, Native Americans from around Massachusetts gathered to memorialize the tragic events that passed at Deer Island more than three centuries ago. Don't know what we're talking about? You're not alone.
Katherine Perry reports on the forgotten history of Deer Island.
OUTRO:Additional Credits
Music in this piece from the Quabbin Lake Singers and The Three Sisters
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