The Land We Occupy
As stewards of the historic Loring Greenough House and grounds, we acknowledge that the property occupies an area of the homeland of the Massachusett Tribal Nation that was claimed by settlers of English descent in the 17th century. The Massachusett, after which settlers named the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, are one of many Indigenous groups subjected to European invasion and the devastation of colonization practices. We honor the original people of this area and their descendants. We respectfully recognize the continuing practice of Indigenous lifeways practiced by the Massachusett Nation Tribe at Ponkapoag. (Revised 02-03-22 by Wanda Hopkins)
(The Loring Greenough House thanks Wanda Hopkins for help in creating this statement. Hopkins has been offering her Native voice in classrooms, churches, and cultural events throughout Rhode Island for more than thirty years. She has served as a Narragansett tribal councilwoman and chair of Tomaquag Museum in Exeter, Rhode Island. She is a member of the Native American Advisory Council at the University of Rhode Island where she is working on a master’s degree in English. She has been an educator of Native American history and culture for more than two decades.)