If you meet a member of the Narragansett Indian Nation, they will likely greet you with the phrase, “Asco wequassin.” Pronounced “ahs-co wee-kwah-seen,” the words mean hello or, in other circumstances, are used to greet the light of day. The Narragansett Indian Tribe is a federally recognized nation of roughly 2,400 members whose name means […]
Information from a previous Motif article by Silvermoon LaRose.
For cover artist Mishki Thompson of Hopkinton, love helped her conquer a disability and embark on a journey of learning and practicing the art of beadworking, and passing on her Indigenous traditions to the next generation, she relates. A member of the Narragansett Tribe, Thompson was forced to go on disability in 2012 due to […]
Thawn Sherenté Harris has some big plans for this coming Patriots’ Day and some big shoes to fill while he is at it. Harris is training to run the Boston Marathon to honor one of his relatives, who not only ran it twice but won it both times. Harris, 47, is the great-nephew of the […]
“The Indian nations have always been considered as distinct, independent, political communities retaining their original natural rights as the undisputed possessors of the soil from time immemorial.” – Worcester v. Georgia(1832). “There is little or no pure aboriginal blood among these people, who partake of the African race with which they are largely mixed.” – […]
I believe that sovereignty within tribal context is a double-edged sword. As Indigenous people, we have lived on this continent for thousands upon thousands of years, always subsisting within a tight-knit community with people who have roles and jobs; however, after our communities were split apart through colonization, we were given the scraps of what […]
My great, great grandmother was a Ramapough Lenape Indian and one of the only ancestors we have a picture of from that long ago, around the late 1800s. While we may only have an image to look back on, we do have this person, a woman, a piece of our history that reminds us of […]
Coyote Christmas: A Lakota Story, by S.D. Nelson. The story is told of a Native American tradition and a sneaky coyote who jumps on the chance to impersonate Santa Claus. A trickster he is from his appearance to his schemes. Will deception, generosity, or an unexpected twist of the holiday season need a miracle? Native […]
“What’s that saying, ‘We are our ancestors’ wildest dreams’?” (Quote from Blood Sisters by: Vanessa Lillie.) Vanessa Lillie is a best selling author, citizen of the Cherokee Nation, and lives on Narragansett land in RI. Her thrilling achievements include: Her debut, Little Voices, was an Amazon best seller, about a postpartum mom trying to solve […]
When a whale dies, sometimes the ocean delivers it back to us. Whether it drifts ashore in a quiet cove or crashes onto a crowded beach, its body becomes a stage upon which humans project meaning: grief, gratitude, and even opportunity. This past spring, a minke whale carcass washed up against the shoreline at Bold […]