Indigenous History of the Westfield River, Talk @ Stanton Hall
Date/Time
Location
Stanton Hall (93 Main St, Huntington MA)
The Westfield River Wildwater Races take place on a river so pristine that in 1993, it was designated "Wild & Scenic" by the US Congress. The territory around the river was not, however, a "wilderness" before European colonial settlers arrived.
Native people were the first inhabitants to enjoy this magnificent river, hunting, fishing, and planting along its banks for thousands of years. The place called Woronoco, where the Wildwater Race ends, was home to a village of more than 1,000 Native people, whose descendants are known today as the Stockbridge Mohican.
Insights into the local Native past will be featured in a talk by Dr. Margaret Bruchac [Abenaki], Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania. Among other topics, she will share the story of Rhoda Rhoades (1751 - 1841), a Native resident of Indian Hollow in Knightville (present day Huntington), who traveled widely in the region and was renowned for her medicinal skills. "Indian Doctresses" like Rhoda provided herbal remedies, dietary cures, and other forms of healing to Native and non-Native people alike.
Dr. Bruchac, who holds a PhD from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has written extensively on Northeastern Native American Indigenous histories. She has long served as a consultant for Historic Northampton, Historic Deerfield, the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association and Old Sturbridge Village, among other museums.
$10 suggested donation at the door, free to children and seniors