EvErybody has a heartache — This silence in the noise of the terminal is a mountain of bison skulls. Nobody knows, nobody sees — Unless the indigenous are dancing powwow all decked out in flash and beauty We just don’t exist. We’ve been dispersed to an outlaw cowboy tale. What were they thinking with all those guns […]
Growing up in Rhode Island, I learned New England was always a bastion of freedom. This was especially true of Rhode Island, the initial English colony to protect the freedom of worship and the first American state to outlaw slavery. In history class, I was taught to believe that the problems that befell the nation […]
We are proud to be Indigenous to this land, As the desert is a desert with its sand. We are not from India, you named us wrong, Indigenous to this area, we’re Narragansett strong. We walk with you day by day unnoticed, because of the stereotypical looks, of what you learn in your books. We […]
Ingredients 3 or 4 large butternut squash peeled and washed ½ cup of dried cranberries 1 cup and 3 tablespoons of butter (plant butter may be substituted) ½ cup of diced shallots A few sprigs of thyme (to preference) Salt and pepper (to taste) 4 quarts chicken or vegetable stock 2 cups of reserved water […]
Roger Williams is often celebrated in Rhode Island as a forward-thinking pioneer who founded Providence, advocating for religious freedom and the separation of church and state. His legacy is deeply embedded in the state’s identity, with his name adorning schools, parks, and institutions. However, this portrayal obscures the significant role played by the Narragansett Indigenous […]
Silvermoon LaRose’s knowledge of Indigenous foods and foraging could fill volumes – and her ancestral knowledge is interwoven in the foraging methods she has learned from generations before her. LaRose, a citizen of the Narragansett Tribal Nation and assistant director of the Tomaquag Museum, is a storyteller, writer, and a knowledgeable teacher who offers classes […]
“People act shocked when I say I’m Native American,” says Indigenous artist Quai Perry. “When you say ‘Native American,’ most people think about the Western Tribes. They think we – the Eastern Tribes – aren’t here anymore.” Perry elaborates that the story, according to the history books, is that the Europeans came, conquered, and exterminated […]
I won my only fight with “Tarzan” Brown. Or so my mother told me. I was only about three at the time, so I don’t really remember it. He was walking down Canal Street in Westerly when my parents spotted him and pulled the car over to say “Hi.” I was in my car seat […]
Our state is home to a unique and inspiring institution, the Tomaquag Indigenous Museum in Exeter. The museum is led by executive director Lorén M. Spears, an artist and author with a background in education. Spears is an enrolled Narragansett Tribal Nation citizen. Tomaquag is the only museum in Rhode Island entirely dedicated to telling […]
During Indigenous Peoples Month, Motif Magazine wishes to acknowledge its operations based on the sacred and ancestral lands of the Nahaganseck People (Narragansett Indian Tribe), the Indigenous People of Rhode Island. The Narragansett have long been the traditional custodians of this land, upholding their commitment to traditional practices in land stewardship. We express our honor, […]