Diverse Holliston’s ‘Community Conversations’ Series Event November 12th

We are proud to announce that, as part of our ongoing ‘Community Conversations’ series, Native Education Specialist Annawon Weeden, a member of both the Mashpee Wampanoag and Mashantucket Pequot tribal communities, will present ‘First Light Flashback,’ the personal story of his communities‘ history and legacy. Mr. Weeden’s dramatic and moving presentation will be held on Tuesday, November 12, from 6 to 8 pm, in the Goodwin Room at Holliston’s Parks and Rec Building, 1750 Washington St. in Holliston. All are welcome. 

Mr. Weeden’s presentation takes us back in time to the first light of his ancestors’ communal and cultural origins, and brings us up to his present-day life as an indigenous person living currently in what is now ‘New England.’ This story gives us the perspective and truth we rarely see and hear: the story of the indigenous peoples, cultures, and communities inhabiting these lands long before Columbus or ‘New England,’ and how those peoples, cultures, and communities were affected and transformed by colonialism. First Light Flashback gives participants the opportunity to witness and integrate this history for themselves, to better know the truth of our collective history and to better remember and honor indigenous history.

Annawon Weeden explains that “Wampanoag means ‘People of the First Light’ due to our geographic location as the furthest eastern tribe.” He is an enrolled member of his mother’s Mashpee Wampanoag tribal community located on Cape Cod, and currently works in the MPTN Cultural Resource Dept. as the Eastern Woodland song/dance instructor for his father’s Mashantucket Pequot Tribal community, located on their reservation in southeastern CT. Growing up on the Narragansett reservation in south coastal RI, Mr. Weeden was instructed on the traditional dances & customs of New England natives throughout his entire life. As an adult, traveling abroad visiting many other tribes across the U.S., Mr. Weeden has developed a comprehensive understanding of the vast diversity among many native customs.  He has spent decades working at Plymouth Plantation as a museum interpreter and outreach educator, as well as the Boston Children’s Museum as a Native program specialist. Annawon Weeden looks forward to any opportunity to share his cultural knowledge with public audiences while engaging others in cultural preservation for future generations of better understanding.

The First Light Foundation mission is to reinforce the identity of each individual served. All across the globe, society is constantly evolving. Keeping up with modern trends can easily take the place of longstanding traditional values. Our goal at First Light Foundation is to highlight the importance of celebrating diversity.  Promoting healthy minds, bodies & spirits through environmental resources, educational programming & cultural arts, we approach identity from all angles. Seven generation preservation, all across Turtle Island & beyond. We strive to spark new light on the road to a brighter future, for all our relations. We thank you for supporting our cause and invite you to take part in building a strong foundation for our future to stand on. 

http://www.firstlightfoundation.net/

Some refreshments will be served at the event. Mr Weeden has arranged some children’s activities for smaller children. 

Press Release

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