Diverse Holliston presented “First Light Flashback” as part of their ongoing Community Conversations series, on Wednesday evening in the Goodwill Room of 1750 Washington Street.  Native American Education Specialist Annawon Weeden, a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Communities, entertained and educated both young and old assembled for the event. 

Parents and children arrived early to find pizza, drinks, and treats as well as activities for the youngsters in an adjacent room prior to the 6:30 PM performance.  The audience mingled until called into the Goodwin Room where everyone anxiously awaited the performance.  Barbara Fritts Worby, member of Diverse Holliston, introduced Annawon Weeden, and the room was left in quiet.

With silence, Weeden entered the back of the room, crouching and inspecting the space as if apprehensive of what it might hold.  Dressed in full regalia, replete with ceremonial objects, Weeden made his way to the front of the room, where a projection of the year 1491 appeared on the wall.  The presentation took us back to the first light of his ancestors’ communal and cultural origins and gradually, over the next hour, brought us into Weeden’s present life as an indigenous person living in what is now New England.

Staying in character, Weeden spoke words that the audience repeated, tentatively at first.   Once the interaction increased, Weeden extended his hand to several in the audience to join in a circle at the front of the room that he then instructed.  Tapping feet to a beat, the circle looked to him for further instructions.  Soon he ushered them back to their seats, and the date projected changed to 1602.

Acting as a member of the Wampanoag of yesterday, Weeden interspersed instructive stories of his family, his culture, and his experiences throughout his production.  The projected dates changed:  1675, 1700, 1800’s.   Without breaks, Weeden spoke of the wars, the worship, the clothing, as well as the contributions of the Native American culture to the New England landscape.  He mentioned places familiar to all present, especially Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Cape Cod, where the imprint of the culture could not be denied.  He showed the quahog shell, known to Native Americans as wampum, and explained its significance.

Toward the conclusion of Weeden’s presentation, pieces of his ceremonial garb were removed.  Each piece became a cause for explanation.  Eventually, Weeden began to don clothing of the Europeans, and concluded in his own modern day outfit.  The rhythm of the action, the use of voice, the intertwining of stories and educational information, and the involvement of the audience was unlike educational presentations I have previously experienced.

The audience was invited to ask questions at the conclusion of the performance.   Audience members elicited information about the National Day of Mourning, about Holliston’s future in regard to the cultural information they had just experienced.  They asked Weeden for ways a person might rethink Thanksgiving so as to be respectful of his history. Weeden’s answer to this question was that we should treat the day with respect and understanding:  “Water connects us all.  Give thanks for water.   Thanks for land.  Thanks for food.”  He explained that he, too, enjoys Thanksgiving—a good meal with family.  “We can’t undo what our ancestors did,” Weeden concluded.  “We make choices today for our future…It is up to you what you do with it.”

Diverse Holliston has plans for a Community Potluck on December 13 or 20, as well as a Book Club (So You Want to Talk About Race, by Ijeoma Oluo) on MLK Day, January 20, 2020.  Additional information may be found on Facebook.  The Organizing Board of Diverse Holliston includes: Francesca Douyon, Jeff Perrot, Barbara Fritts Worby, Saghi Saadi, Michelle Diamond, Botum Bennett, and Anna Freitas.