Running Time: 11:29
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For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples from all around the Northeast gathered, fished and celebrated at Peskeompskut, now called Turners Falls, Massachusetts. On May 19, 1676, over 300 Native people – mostly women, children and elders were killed in an attack by armed English settlers at the Great Falls. This was among the largest massacres of Indigenous people in colonial U.S. history. On May 15, 2021, Native and non-native people gather together to honor and remember those who died on the 345th anniversary of the massacre. We hear Nipmuck and Abenaki speakers and singers. In addition to being an acknowledgement of the past, this commemoration is also an affirmation of Indigenous resilience and all people coming together now.
From the film:
“We are moving back toward balance. That is our work today.”
— Rich Holschuh (Elnu Abenaki)
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Nolumbeka Project 