Page 3 - aruba-today-20220811

A3
U.S. NEWS Thursday 11 augusT 2022

Native Americans urge boycott of ‘tone deaf’ Pilgrim museum

By PHILIP MARCELO declared the “new, more
Associated Press balanced” moniker reflect-
PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — ed the importance of the
Native Americans in Mas- Indigenous perspective to
sachusetts are calling for a the 75-year-old institution’s
boycott of a popular living educational mission.
history museum featuring “Patuxet” was an Indige-
Colonial reenactors por- nous community near “Pli-
traying life in Plymouth, the moth,” as the Pilgrim colony
famous English settlement was known before becom-
founded by the Pilgrims ing modern day Plymouth.
who arrived on the May- It was badly decimated by
flower. European diseases by the
Members of the state’s time the Mayflower arrived,
Wampanoag community but one of its survivors,
and their supporters say Pli- Tisquantum, commonly
moth Patuxet Museums has known as Squanto, famous-
not lived up to its promise ly helped the English colo-
of creating a “bi-cultural nists survive their first winter.
museum” that equally tells “They’ve changed
the story of the European the name but haven’t
and Indigenous peoples changed the attitude,” said
that lived there. Paula Peters, a member of
They say the “ Historic the Mashpee Wampanoag
Patuxet Homesite,” the por- Tribe who worked for nearly
tion of the mostly outdoor 20 years at the museum, Visitors walk through the 17th-Century English Village exhibit at the Plimoth Patuxet Museums on
museum focused on tradi- most recently as market- Nov. 18, 2018, in Plymouth, Mass. Associated Press
tional Indigenous life, is in- ing director. “They’ve done
adequately small, in need nothing to ingratiate them- into their history lessons. tribal attire. Meanwhile, on of many long-standing Na-
of repairs and staffed by selves with tribes. Every step The museum also noted the Pilgrim settlement part tive staffers who built the
workers who aren’t from lo- they take is tone deaf.” that its new director of Al- of the museum, thatched program into a must-see
cal tribes. Museum spokesperson gonquian Exhibits and In- roofs on the Colonial attraction by showcasing
“We’re saying don’t pa- Rob Kluin, in a statement terpretation is an Aquinnah homes had been recently authentic Indigenous farm-
tronize them, don’t work emailed to The Associated Wampanoag who serves repaired, and numerous ing, cooking, canoe build-
over there,” said Camille Press, said the museum on his tribe’s education reenactors milled about in ing and other cultural prac-
Madison, a member of the has expanded the out- committee. detailed period outfits. tices, they say.
Aquinnah Wampanoag door Wampanoag exhibit, Carol Pollard, whose late “I know my brother would “For more than a decade
Tribe on Martha’s Vineyard, raised more than $2 million brother Anthony “Nanepa- be very disappointed,” said now, the museum has sys-
who was among those re- towards a new Indigenous shemet” Pollard played a Pollard, who also worked as tematically dismantled the
cently venting their frustra- programs building and has key role in the develop- a gardener at the museum outdoor exhibit,” the Wam-
tions on social media. “We “several initiatives in place” ment of the museum’s In- until last summer. “I guaran- panoag Consulting Alli-
don’t want to engage with to recruit and retain staff digenous programming as tee you, people dressed in ance, a Native group that
them until they can find a from Native communities. a leading Wampanoag khakis and navy blue tops includes Peters and other
way to respect Indigenous He declined to elaborate. historian, was among those was not my brother’s vi- former museum staffers,
knowledge and experi- The statement also cited a dismayed at the state of sion.” said in a statement late last
ence.” pair of grants the museum the site. Former museum staffers say month. “Many steps taken
The concerns come just received to boost its Native Last week, large gaps were museum officials for years to provide equal repre-
two years after the mu- American education pro- evident in the battered tree ignored their suggestions sentation to Wampanoag
seum changed its name gramming. That included bark roof of the large wetu, for modernizing and ex- programming have been
from Plimoth Plantation to more than $160,000 from or traditional Wampanoag panding the outdoor ex- removed, and the physical
Plimoth Patuxet as part of the National Endowment dwelling, that is a focal hibit, which marks its 50th exhibit is in deplorable con-
a yearlong celebration of for the Humanities to host point of the Indigenous anniversary next year. dition. The result has been
the 400th anniversary of the a workshop this summer for exhibit. Neither of the two That, coupled with low pay the virtually complete
Mayflower landing. teachers on how to incor- museum interpreters on and poor working condi- alienation of the Wampa-
At the time, the museum porate Indigenous voices site was wearing traditional tions, led to the departure noag communities.”q