THE RUNNER

Artwork courtesy of Nikosis LaRose, Narragansett/Northern Ute, age 11 (2025)

Where History is Shared and Stories Continue

April - June 2025


Kunoopeam Netompaûog

Welcome Friends

  Hello Readers.  You may have noticed our newsletter’s new name.  “The Runner” acknowledges and honors traditional ways of sharing news. 

This quarter, we are exploring how history shapes the present through perspective and declaration. The saying, “To the victor go the spoils” holds true, as much of recorded history is written from the viewpoint of those who have won. Conquering nations establish new governments and rewrite the rules of governance to reflect their control.

This pattern is evident in American history. When the King of England ruled the early colonies, laws were written, and treaties were made—only to be broken and rewritten by colonial governments after the War for Independence. The Declaration of Independence marked the beginning of a new system of governance, shaped by the victors of that conflict.

However, to preserve history accurately, we must learn from all perspectives—those who triumphed and those who were defeated, across all socioeconomic backgrounds. History is not solely the story of the winners; it is a collection of lived experiences that deserve to be heard and understood. Only by acknowledging these diverse narratives can we gain a fuller, more truthful understanding of the past.  

I encourage you to read historical documents, narratives, diaries, and journals with this in mind. While we may never fully understand or relate to the experiences of others, we should be willing to try.  

~Education Team




HISTORY SHAPES OUR PRESENT…

THROUGH PERSPECTIVE:

 I am discouraged, disappointed, and exhausted by the perspective written on behalf of the settler-colonial people as I read the prologue of The Deerfield Massacre by James L. Swanson. The Deerfield Massacre occurred in February of 1704, when a small settlement of English inhabitants was raided by the French and warriors of five Native Tribes. In just a few pages, the author describes the Indians as barbaric, savage, and inhumane as he writes about how Native people raided the village, killing children in front of their families and committing atrocities. I am not disputing the truth of this event, but rather speaking to the profound sympathetic perspective of his opening.

I thought: It’s 1704—where are the Native people who would have been living in this area along the Connecticut River? What happened to them that this location was “available for settlement”? And why didn’t the author write about that in his opening?  Still, another writer, John Demos,  American Heritage Magazine (Feb/Mar 1993 Vol 44 Issue 1) described this event using these words, 

“And Deerfield, Massachusetts— above all, Deerfield— scene of the region’s single, most notorious massacre.”  

As I read, my mind was filled with thoughts about Deerfield and how it compares to what happened at Great Swamp in December of 1675, an event, incidentally, that occurred 29 years prior to the Deerfield event, and that we, the Narragansett people, remember as a massacre, but which has been recorded as a “fight.”   This event resulted in the genocide of many hundreds of unsuspecting Narragansett children, elders, mothers, and warriors and Wampanoag refugees as they sheltered in their fortress deep in the swamp.  The result of this event essentially reduced the Narragansett population drastically and many remaining men were sold into slavery throughout Caribbean islands, the Azores, and others.  Another truth.

These two events, told from different perspectives, show how history is shaped by who is writing it. When Native actions are described, the language is harsh, condemning. When settler actions are described, the words soften, justify, or obscure the truth.  History has been written in ways that make the Native people seem brutal while excusing or lightening the role of the settlers.

Perspective is important.

In my research, I see how history has been written in ways that justify the actions of settlers while condemning the actions of Native people. Fortunately, in recent years, more writers have begun collaborating with the descendants of Native Tribes and formerly enslaved peoples. Now, there are written histories told by Indigenous and African American voices, offering perspectives that have long been overlooked. When these authors write about historical events, the narrative shifts, as many know firsthand or have felt the lasting effects of the past through their families and communities’ experiences.

In Wandering Stars, for example, the Native perspective naturally comes through as Tommy Orange describes the Sand Creek Massacre and the generational trauma resulting. Similarly, Touch My Tears, a compilation of writings by Choctaw authors, contains stories based on family accounts of the forced removals of the Choctaw from their homelands in Mississippi, reflecting the experiences of those who endured them rather than the perspectives of those who inflicted them. These removals, endured by other Tribal Nations as well, have been called the Long Walk or the Trail of Tears.

In many books, textbooks, thesis papers, etc., the colonial accounts focus on the suffering of the settlers—the hardships they endured. But they did not ask, Who was removed from that and how were they removed in order for these lands to be settled? What happened to those Native nations—were they killed, enslaved, pushed out?  Reading about the suffering of the settlers in the Deerfield Massacre made me think about the forced removal of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Seminole, and other Nations—how they were made to walk miles in the cold, in the middle of the night, under false promises. The telling of these histories depends on who is writing them. The difference in perspective is striking—when the history is told by those who experienced it, the story shifts.

This piece is not just about Deerfield or Great Swamp as there are so many more events. It is about how history is written—whose voices are included and whose are left out. American history, as it has long been taught, does not fully acknowledge the perspectives of all the peoples who lived these events. Indigenous nations existed long before this land was called America, yet history often reduces their presence to footnotes or a few short paragraphs in textbooks, failing to fully account for how the United States came to be—which encompasses forced removal, assimilation, and violence against Native peoples. In addition, it often fails to even teach or emphasize  how the marginalized and oppressed peoples, whose life ways were forcibly altered, later adapted and contributed in powerful ways through the generations—leading to significant cultural, social, and political contributions that are often overlooked in traditional narratives. One would think America was developed solely by the descendants of early colonists, but that is far from the truth. Indigenous and African American peoples played crucial roles in shaping this country, both in the past and in the ongoing evolution of American society. 

Even now, these truths are diminished, dismissed or erased. In many public schools today, we are not allowed to teach them. Events such as these and more, which are fundamental to understanding America’s past and present, have been labeled as critical race theory and are being banned. The relationships between settlers, Indigenous peoples, and the enslaved are real, documented histories—not just distant memories, but events with lasting consequences. History should not be about comfort—it should be about truth. And truth is not shaped by perspective. These truths are not easy to read or discuss, but they are truths. If history is about what actually happened, then how is it wrong to tell what has occurred and what its effects have been? The telling of history should not just come from those who wrote—it should also come from the oral and written histories of the descendants of those who lived these events, both the immigrant to these lands as well as the Indigenous. As the original inhabitants of these lands, our stories still exist, and our voices still matter.

All our futures are—and will continue to be—shaped and determined by both our past and our present.

~Chrystal Mars Baker


THROUGH DECLARATION:

https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration/what-does-it-say

The Declaration of Independence. America’s founding document. The statement that established our status as an independent nation. A document whose opening line declares that all men are created equal and endowed with certain inalienable rights—the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

But who is included in this “all”? What equality? Whose rights?

This document, drafted by the colonial elite seeking separation from the Kingdom of England, presents a list of grievances justifying their pursuit of self-governance. One such grievance states:

“He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.”

 This single line makes it undeniably clear: Indigenous peoples were not part of the all. Not only were we excluded, but we were also dehumanized—labeled as savages, a term used repeatedly throughout history to justify violence, displacement, and erasure.  From the moment the earliest settlers arrived, it was Native people who fed, clothed, and taught them how to survive. We shared, we gave, we welcomed many into our homes and communities. Throughout generations, we have remained resilient despite countless attempts at erasure—both physically and in written history. 

At the time this document was written in 1776, both Indigenous peoples and Africans were enslaved, forced to build the structures and work on the farms and plantations of the nation we all inhabit today. Yet we were not savages. We were—and are—human. And despite the injustices imposed upon us, we have contributed immensely, whether by force for survival or by necessity, to what is now the United States.

For many Native Nations, treaty agreements were sacred, upheld with honor in accordance with both natural and spiritual law. To break such an agreement was to disgrace one’s leadership, one’s Nation, and the Great Sovereign—our Creator. Our societies developed elaborate ceremonial structures for diplomatic meetings among our various Nations, fostering relationships built on respect and accountability.  Among many Eastern Nations, including the Haudenosaunee, Cherokee, Wampanoag, and Narragansett, both men and women held political authority. In some societies, female lineages chose male representatives for governing councils, demonstrating a balanced system of leadership and governance.  For some of these Nations, this practice continues.

 We have a long history of defending our homelands—through diplomacy, governance, and, when necessary, strategic battle. Native people have served in the U.S. military at the highest rate per capita of any group in America.  We are parents, friends, colleagues, teachers, historians, authors, artists, veterans, and more.

The Great Law of Peace—the Haudenosaunee constitution—served as an inspiration for key elements of the U.S. Constitution. Yet the prevailing myth persists: that settlers acquired vast lands because Native peoples willingly sold them, unaware of their value or how to use them. This is false. The settlers did not understand our relationship with the land—a reciprocal bond in which the earth was our Mother, all life a sacred gift from our Creator, and all living beings our relatives.

This land was neither untamed nor unclaimed. It was not “discovered.” And the wars fought for its violent seizure were not of our making.

And still we remain— leading, serving, contributing, and living.


~Chrystal Mars Baker




BOOK NOOK:   


Fry Bread is a book written by Kevin Noble Maillard, an enrolled member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma,  which explores the significance of this food beyond just sustenance. It serves as a symbol of family, history, community, and culture across many Native American traditions. Fry bread became a staple for many Native peoples after they were forcibly removed from their traditional homelands and relocated to reservations.  Through his book, Maillard delves into themes of difference, identity, and an appreciation for diversity.  Food, and the need for it, connects us all through recipes, family, traditions, and celebrations. Just as there are many different fry bread recipes, there are also many different people, families, and communities that make it. And just as there are countless family stories and traditions, so too are there many different people who make up the U.S. today.

*To hear this book read by the author click here.

People of the Breaking Day, written by Marcia Sewall, explores the Wampanoag people and their leaders at the time of contact with colonists in the 17th century. Native Americans had their own systems of government, led by men and women leaders called Sachems and Saunksquaas (sunk skwaws). Saunksquaas is the Narragansett Nation’s language word for female leader.  At the time of contact, Metacomet was Sachem of one of many Wampanoag villages in the area that now includes Barrington, Tiverton, and surrounding towns in present-day Massachusetts. For the Narragansett Nation, whose territory bordered these towns and encompassed most of what is now Rhode Island, Canonicus and Miantonomi were the leaders. Farther south, at the end of present-day Rhode Island, was the territory of Ninigret, Sachem of the Niantics.  Among these Nations, villages often had two leaders—one older and one younger—so that as one aged, the other was already well-taught and prepared to carry on the important and immense responsibility of leadership. When the United States was formed, early colonial leaders borrowed principles and structures from Indigenous governance systems as they developed their own.

*To learn more about these leaders click here. 

We Want Equal Rights, written by Dr. Sally Roesch Wagner, is a great read for learning about the Women’s Rights Movement of the 18th century. Many Americans do not know that this movement, also known as Women’s Suffrage, was influenced by Native American women, particularly the Haudenosaunee.  The Women’s Rights Movement was born in Seneca, NY, originally Haudenosaunee territory. The Haudenosaunee, called Iroquois by the French, encompass six Native Nations in and around what is now New York State. Among these Nations, women were highly respected and honored. They were life-givers, ceremony keepers, matriarchs, leaders, medicine women, and clan mothers, often carrying the immense responsibility of determining the leadership of their Nations.  As European women arrived in these territories throughout the years of colonization and settlement, they noticed stark differences between their own family structures and those of the Haudenosaunee. In European patriarchal systems, only men—fathers, uncles, and brothers—had a voice in leadership and decision-making that affected the whole community. This was vastly different from the roles of Native women, who held significant power and influence among their own people.

*You may purchase your own copy of this book and support a Native business by clicking here.

The three books above will be featured over the first three weeks of this summer’s eight week Children’s Hour session beginning Wednesday mornings in June.  Each lesson will provide an educational opportunity to learn more about the preservation of history from an Indigenous perspective along with a fun activity.  Keep an eye on our website for more details in the coming months.

FOR FUN:

Hey kids! Challenge yourself with this crossword puzzle.  The answers can be found in this newsletter. Click here for the answers.

RESOURCES:

At Tomaquag we are continuously doing the work of educating new generations of children as well as the general public about the lives, traditions and life changes of the Indigenous peoples of Rhode Island and neighboring communities.  Follow us on our website at tomaquagmuseum.org, Youtube and Facebook. Check out these resources!

For book reviews click here.

To purchase books and support an Indigenous business and authors, click here.

To support Tomaquag museum, other Indigenous businesses, and artists, shop our store here.

 

Looking for More Educational Resources? Check out the following: