Photo Credit: GENE M. MARCHAND/ENTERPRISE
Stitch by stitch, Anita “Mother Bear” Peters, citizen of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and Bear Clan Mother, sewed together blankets to keep tribal members warm and connected this holiday season.
With winter socials and cultural nights canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mother Bear said she has sewn more than 150 fleece blankets as a substitute for the hugs she wishes she could share with her tribal community.
“I miss being with my tribal people, and it’s just a way to show them that I’m thinking about them and hoping that they stay warm,” Mother Bear said.
Each clan within the tribe has a different duty, and the Bear Clan’s duty is to “keep the ceremonies and traditions alive,” she said.
Making the blankets reminds Mother Bear of her own childhood when tribal mothers would get together every year to hold a fundraiser during the holiday season followed by a big party where every child would receive a gift.
“That’s how we’ve survived all this time,” she said. “By letting people know that you care about them and that you’re thinking about them.”
To find the fleece sewing materials, she goes on what she calls “hunting trips” to JOANN Fabric and Craft Stores as far away as Plymouth or Swansea. Sometimes she spots fleece with a pattern that reminds her of a particular tribal member.
Trish Keli’inui, a Mashpee resident and tribal citizen, said she was delighted when she found a floral-print blanket—which she said is an apparent reference to the Hawaiian side of her ancestry—at her doorstep recently.
“She’s very giving, whether it is giving of her time, helping people make their regalia or bringing items to socials to eat,” Ms. Keli’inui said of Ms. Peters, who is her first cousin. “She’s such a gifted dressmaker and sewer, I just wasn’t surprised when I saw that she was delivering blankets to everybody around the community.”
For Ms. Keli’inui, the blanket has provided an opportunity to reflect on the importance of the community, even as most in-person events have been canceled.
“In my opinion, it has really helped everybody find time, find a moment to reflect and think about the fortunate things we have,” she said.
Brian Moskwetah Weeden, who sits on the Tribal Council, said Mother Bear made a blanket with a bear pattern for him.
“My middle name, Moskwetah, means ‘Bear Heart,’” Brian said. “She’s good about recognizing people’s spiritual names. She is a clan mother that takes care of a lot of people.”
By Ryan Spencer | Mashpee Enterprise
