Throughout the summer the Westport Historical Society celebrates local Native American heritage and traditional arts with a series of special events focusing on indigenous cooking, Native American dye techniques, quillwork, and Wampanoag language reclamation, and an exhibition at the Handy House, 202 Hix Bridge Road.
This programming is guided by Elizabeth James-Perry, a member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head – Aquinnah. She is a multi-medium traditional and contemporary artist with a focus on early Northeastern Woodlands Native culture, including ancient wampum shell carvings and reviving natural dye techniques.
A series of events kicks off at the Westport Public Library on Thursday, Aug. 8 with a program on the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project. The Wampanoag language is one of more than three dozen languages classified as belonging to the Algonquian language family.
Through the processes of religious conversion, laws against the use of the language, mainstream education, and commerce, the Wampanoag language had ceased to be spoken by the mid-19th century. Through the joint collaborative efforts of members of the Assonet Band of Wampanoag, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah and the Herring Pond Band of Wampanoag, the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project aims to return fluency to the Wampanoag Nation as a principal means of expression.
Jennifer Weston, WLRP Director/Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Language Department Director, will provide an overview of the program. And there will be an opportunity to learn some common Wampanoag words. Seating is limited. Reserve a seat at www.wpthistory.org or https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wampanoag-language-reclamation-project-tickets-61693091698.
This will be followed by a Wampanoag art and adornment demonstration on Aug. 10 and an indigenous cooking demonstration on Sept. 14 showcasing Native American cooking techniques using clay pots, over an open fire. Learn about seasonal cuisine, feast celebrations, and Wampanoag recipes that have been adopted into modern New England foodways.
For details and updates please contact the Westport Historical Society or visit www.wpthistory.org.
