Essex County, The Essex National Heritage Area, encompasses land on which Indigenous communities have thrived for millennia. The Pawtucket band of the Massachusett Tribe inhabited the land that is now known as Essex County. Indigenous peoples should not be relegated to history; they are still here and are part of our shared story. As we move towards an equitable future, we will celebrate and continue to honor the heritage of the Indigenous communities that have called this region home for generations.
Essex Heritage Land Acknowledgement
About this Exhibit
The history of Native Peoples in our region is often misrepresented. Town histories recorded across Essex County in the 19th century diminished Native life while strengthening the origins of America. As part of Essex Heritage's Teaching Hidden Histories initiative, participants examined stories from pre-and post-contact periods that centered Native voices to enrich our understanding of the past. European-American centered misconceptions about this region during this time period highlight larger themes of exclusion and the fight for acknowledgment and preservation. Critical examination of sources from the region's past as well as contemporary voices in the local Native community inform our understanding of this history. This exhibit invites the viewer to dispel misconceptions after analyzing primary sources, listening to Native voices and consulting local resources.
This exhibition was created from resources referenced in the Teaching Hidden Histories Workshop 3 (2021).
Watch the workshop here
While Exploring the Documents Ask Yourself:
How does our exploration of misconceptions and historiography surrounding the contact period in our region illuminate how some stories have been “hidden” in our larger American History?
What are some examples of European-American centered misconceptions about Native Peoples and the contact period?
How can critical examination of sources from the region’s past as well as contemporary voices in the local Native community inform our understanding of this topic?
Common Misconceptions
English colonists were “the first” to settle and productively “use” this region’s land & resources.
Land deed contracts demonstrate that Native People were not effective negotiators.
Slavery did not play a large role in New England’s history, especially the history of Native contact with Europeans.
Native Peoples in the 17th century were unjustifiably violent against the peaceful colonists.
Native Peoples do not live in this region.
What do these sources tell you about how Native history has been told?
Annawon Weedon is an enrolled member of the Mashpee Wampanoag community.
Questions for you
What were the reasons why these narratives were created and how did our local histories play a role in creating these narratives?
How can we recognize harmful narratives?
How can we discuss our area's past while understanding that there are still gaps that need to be filled and stories that need to be uncovered?
What are some of the contemporary issues you see that have roots in this history? How are these issues being played out in our region?
Explore these online resources to learn more
Thank you to the museums, archives, and historical societies of Essex County for making these resources available.
Made possible by a generous contribution from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.