June 26, 2015
MASHPEE, MA— The initial installment of Plymouth 400, Inc.’s first educational and cultural exhibit “Our Story- A Wampanoag History” will be displayed at the 94th annual Mashpee Wampanoag Powwow from July 3—5, 2015 on the Barnstable County Fairgrounds. The exhibit will then be open for public viewing at Mashpee Public Library through the end of July.
This installment, titled “Captured: 1614” shines a light on a 400-year-old piece of history that had a significant impact on the Wampanoag tribe, their relationship with the Mayflower Pilgrims, and the founding of Plymouth Colony, events that significantly shaped the building of America. Created by a Wampanoag design team and told from the Native perspective, this exhibit will continue its regional tour before returning to Plymouth in Fall 2015 to debut a new installation of the history of the Wampanoag tribe.
“We, and I mean all of us who were involved in the effort to bring this exhibit to life, are thrilled to have it finally come to Mashpee as a feature of our annual Powwow,” said Paula Peters, the producer of “Our Story” exhibit and principal at SmokeSygnals Marketing and Communications, and active member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. “Powwow is a major homecoming for the tribe and many tribe members from far and wide have expressed an interest in seeing ‘Captured 1614’. Then to extend the stay of the exhibit at the Mashpee Public Library through August 3 will help to put our history into important context for our hometown friends and neighbors.”
“Anyone who celebrates Thanksgiving has some impression of what happened in Plymouth Colony in the 17th century. The goal of Plymouth 400 is to highlight the lesser-known facts, like ‘Captured: 1614’, to further educate and engage the public in the profound effect of this moment in time, and how it has informed centuries of American culture,” said Michele Pecoraro, Executive Director of Plymouth 400, Inc. “The ‘Our Story’ exhibit is just one way in which we intend to tell this story from different perspectives highlighting the voices and viewpoints of different cultures. We want people to understand and feel ownership of these events that significantly shaped America’s earliest beginnings.”
The exhibition will continue to travel throughout the region over the next five years and will be installed next at the Aquinnah Cultural Center in Aquinnah, MA from August 4 through September 20, 2015 with additional locations to be determined.
About Plymouth 400, Inc.
Plymouth 400, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization in Plymouth, Massachusetts formed to lead the planning and execution of programs and events commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage and the founding of Plymouth Colony in 2020. The Plymouth 400 Anniversary will highlight the cultural contributions and American traditions that began with the interaction of the Wampanoag and English peoples, a story that significantly shaped the building of America.
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