The local Nipmuc indigenous tribe has persisted in Central Massachusetts for nearly 8,000 years in spite of recent centuries of colonization, industrialization and assimilation. The rich cultural history of the Nipmucs will be shared through story and Native American teachings by Larry “Spotted Crow” Mann, noted Nipmuc storyteller in a program entitled “When the Land Speaks” on Sunday, March 15 at 2 p.m. in the Petersham Town Hall.
The free program will explore the dynamic relationship between land, people, and nature through the eyes of the Native Americans of New England. Many of the stories can be related to the Nichewaug Section of the land area surrounding the massive Quabbin Reservoir which was original Nipmuc land.
Mann is a member of Nipmuc Tribe and resident of Massachusetts. He is an award-winning writer, poet, cultural educator, traditional storyteller, tribal drummer /dancer and motivational speaker involving youth sobriety, cultural and environmental awareness. His work has taken him across the United States, Canada and parts of Europe.
He is also a board member of the Nipmuc Cultural Preservation Inc., which is an organization set up to promote the cultural, social and spiritual needs of Nipmuc Tribe.
Spotted Crow’s work with the Nipmuc Cultural Preservation, Inc. group draws a special connection to Petersham where the group now has legal title to 21 acres of original tribal land in the eastern section of town and where they will create a Native American cultural and education center for both native and non-native people.
In Petersham and the surrounding communities, there is support for the return of original land to the local documented Indigenous People. Such support was shown in September 2019 when over 100 Nipmucs, town residents and the public came to a land return ceremony.
Mann’s “Tales from the Whispering Basket,” is a collection of short stories and poetry that has been internationally acclaimed. Mann brings forth the oral tradition in this brilliantly woven “Collection of Legends,” that beckon the Spirit of the Land, and the Ancient Voices that still have so much to teach us all.
For Larry Buell, Petersham native, founder of Earthlands and one of the organizers of the storytelling event, was moved by one of the stories in the “Whispering Basket” book. For Buell, the tale of the “Whispering Basket” is a quintessential Native American teaching story made relevant where ancient indigenous roots are played out in a modern cultural scene.”
Buell goes on to say that the message of this one story “helped to convince me and my family to return land to the Nipmuc Nation.”
A number of local environmental related organizations like, Harvard Forest, Trustees of Reservations, Mass Audubon, Quabbin Visitor Center, Millers River Environmental Center, and the Nolumbeka Center in Turners Falls have been invited to share their work at the Sunday program.
The program’s funding came from the Petersham Cultural Council and is sponsored by the University of the Wild, a special project of the Wild Earth Institute, Inc. The program is free and open to the public.
For more information on Mann, visit www.whisperingbasket.com. For information on the program, contact Buell at