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 Nation in shaping the landscape Williams encountered and the conditions of his settlement. In the Rhode Island public school system, Williams is framed as the “founder” of Providence, sidelining the critical agency of the Native peoples who stewarded and maintained Moshassuck, the land Williams encountered. This retelling reinforces an Eurocentric narrative that neglects the Indigenous presence and labor.
In reality, the Narragansett, like other Indigenous peoples on Turtle Island, actively shaped our environment, crafting a sustainable ecosystem that Williams mistook for untouched wilderness. Moshassuck, meaning “moose hunting grounds,” was a product of generations of Indigenous ecological stewardship. Williams’ settlement in the region was not the creation of something new from nothing, but rather an integration into an already thriving system that the Narragansett had maintained for centuries. Williams’ relationship with the Narragansett was initially one of mutual benefit; he was welcomed with “what cheer netop,” a phrase the Narragansett used to peacefully welcome the English. The use of “netop” signified a status that came with the responsibility and obligation to honor and respect the privilege of being on the land by paying homage to it and its stewards. This stands in contrast to the later colonial narrative of Williams as the unilateral founder of Providence.
Ultimately, the conventional history taught in Rhode Island schools omits the complexities of Indigenous diplomacy, land management, and the vital role the Narragansett played in sustaining the settlers. This omission perpetuates a settler-colonial framework that erases Native contributions and legitimizes European land claims through a narrative of pioneer heroism.
Photo courtesy of Vange Hopkins
