Indigenous Peoples Day
October 10th is Indigenous Peoples Day. In Rhode Island, we are on the homelands of the Narragansett, Pequot, Eastern Nahantick, Manissean and Wampanoag Nations. The story of local Indigenous Peoples belongs to those nations. To find out what Native Land you are on, visit https://native-land.ca. Please note this website is an evolving resource.
In Rhode Island, you can use the following resources to learn about the history and modern day stories of these peoples:
Please visit the website for the Narragansett here. From their website: “The Narragansett Indians are descendants of the aboriginal people of the State of Rhode Island. Archaeological evidence and oral history of the Narragansett People establish their existence in the region more than 30,000 years ago.”
Please visit the website of the Tomaquag Museum. From their website: “Rhode Island’s Only Indigenous Museum Dedicated To Sharing Our Culture, Arts and History From A First Person Perspective. Tomaquag Museum Features An Extensive Collection and Archive That Focuses On Tribal Communities of Southern New England.”
For a comprehensive list of books for early readers to middle grades, please visit the Native American Children’s Literature Recommended Reading List. "Curated by Debbie Reese, Ph.d., who is an enrolled member Of Nambe Pueblo and the curator of the Native American Children’s Literature Recommended Reading list.
Dr. Reese is an expert in the field of Native children’s literature, an educator, and has served on many national literacy boards." The list includes reading recommendations for early childhood through high school, as well as graphic novels of note. Find the reading list here.
