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presented with the Massachusetts Archaeological Society
Downtown Campus, 27 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, MA
Free for CAM and MAS members, $10 for non-members
Livestreamed on Facebook and Vimeo

with Linda Coombs, author and historian from the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah); David Weeden, THPO/Director of the Tribal Historic Preservation Department for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe; Eric Lott, archaeologist and Board Member of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society at the Robbins Museum of Archaeology.

The cape that is now home to Cape Ann was formed between 12,000-10,000 years ago as a glacier that covered most of North America melted, leaving behind a richly diverse environment and distinctive landscape. Archaeological evidence dates the first known human activity in this region to at least 10,500 to 11,000 years ago, but that’s not the whole story.

During this panel discussion, Linda Coombs (Aquinnah), David Weeden (Mashpee), and Eric Lott will share what is known about the Indigenous people of this land and the continuation of their story up to current day. This panel is presented as part of the Cape Ann Museum’s 400+ Series, a living history of Gloucester leading up to the 400^th anniversary of the arrival of English colonizers in 1623, inviting Indigenous voices to shape the conversation on the upcoming anniversary.

The Cape Ann Museum, Manchester Historical Museum, Sandy Bay Historical Society, and Annisquam Historical Society are collaborating to highlight the Indigenous history of Cape Ann through a series of installations and programs during the spring of 2022. Over the past several months, each institution has taken the opportunity to review and catalog their respective collections. With information gleaned during that effort, each institution will present a display of the Indigenous archaeological artifacts in their collections and will develop unique related educational programs to engage visitors. These institutions are located on the traditional and ancestral homeland of the Pawtucket people and their neighbors, the Massachuset, Nipmuc, Pennacook, and Wampanoag Tribes.