‘Reconnections: Essays and Artwork by Wampanoag and Narragansett Knowledge Keepers’

The book “Reconnections,” a compilation of work by Wampanoag and Narragansett knowledge keepers, is really a heart-spoken recount of knowledge given by some of the elders and younger generations of our time, many of whom I am happy to say I (as an elder myself) have had the honor to work with from time to time. As I read the book, I could hear each storyteller’s voice. 

Patriarch Robert Peters opens the book with strong truths about reclaimation. This is what our people have had to do, to begin to heal the wounds of us as a people. Bringing ancestors home, Peters tells the story of why indigenous populations here have worked to bring awareness to the offenses that were (and are still, in some cases) prolonged for Native peoples, how we have worked to repatriate our people and the artifacts to the land from where they originated –– and how this important work is ongoing here throughout the Northeastern Woodlands people.

Wampanoag matriarch Ramona Peters recalls how and what her thoughts are, as she works on traditional pottery. If you have ever had the chance to meet Ramona, you’ll know that she is wise in her knowledge, and knows the responsibilities granted to her as she was becoming the woman she is today. Here in this book, you get a taste of her reality and of her recognition for the knowledge and artwork that she has given to the world. 

Wampanoag matriarch Linda Coombs tells the history from colonization to hopes of decolonization. She speaks about the “Doctrine of Discovery,” and of other traumas that have plagued indigenous people, but also about how we must change to allow healing, and she speaks of her hopes for the future in the change that is going on around us. 

Elizabeth James-Perry’s artistry is displayed. It tells of her journey to become who she is today, what it means to become one with wampum, and how her work affects her because of the ties she has to ancestry within the bead itself.

There are many artists/storytellers in the book. Each tells stories of the work they are doing within their communities, and each tells of the challenges within the story. All end with triumph and hope for the future.The content is fascinating, and it often brought the stories of my youth back to me, as if my then-elders were in the room with me. I recommend this book to anyone who loves history and geographical knowledge, those with high regard for this area of the Northeast, and most of all, storytellers.