Wampanoag Historian Jonathan Perry at Cotuit Chronicles Lecture Series

The Historical Society of Santuit & Cotuit Presents Wampanoag Historian Jonathan Perry at Cotuit Chronicles Lecture Series

Perry, of Plimoth Plantation, to Highlight Wampanoag Maritime Traditions at Cotuit Village Library on Wednesday, September 19th

COTUIT – Local Barnstable author and historian, Dr. James Gould, has written that much of the history of Cape Cod is the “unrecorded story of the Indians who had lived here for at least 4,000 years” prior to the arrival of the Pilgrims in 1620. Records and archives since that time have given re-searchers a wealth of data and information on the earliest white settlers, but what is known about the indigenous American people who preceded the Norsemen and Europeans by nearly 12,000 years and lived from the natural bounty of what is now called Cape Cod?

Jonathan Perry, a native Gay Head (Aquinnah) Wampanoag historian, will help fill in those gaps as he relates some of the history and traditions of the Wampanoag people in a lecture hosted by The Historical Society of Santuit & Cotuit on Wednesday, September 19th, at 7:00 PM at the Cotuit Village Library.  Detailing the early maritime skills of tribal members in navigating the region’s waterways and developing a way of life around them, Perry – Assistant Program Director of Plimoth Plantation’s Wampanoag Indigenous Program (WIP) –  will speak on “Wampanoag Maritime Traditions: Mishoon Use in the 17th Century.”

In an area that became renowned for its maritime lore and seafaring leadership in the 18th and 19th centuries – and that continues its fascination with the sea – the Wampanoag had developed transportation, hunting and fishing modes on local waters throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. Perry’s dramatic presentation will highlight the Wampanoag peoples’ dependence upon the sea and its bounty. Travel, trade, work, and recreation by mishoon (dugout canoe) were all part of every day life in pre-Colonial America. Vessels of all sizes and types were seen in the rivers, lakes, ponds, and even on the  deep-sea.  The historian Perry’s resources, drawn from the acclaimed Wampanoag Indigenous Program at Plimoth Plantation, will enlighten those interested in a deeper understanding of native American life on Cape Cod centuries before the arrival of the Mayflower.

Jonathan Perry, Aquinnah Wampanoag artist, actor and cultural practitioner, is Assistant Director of the Wampanoag Indigenous Program at Plimoth Plantation.  He has traveled extensively as a speaker, presenter, performing artist and visual artist.  Featured in a number of documentary films representing Eastern indigenous people, he has appeared in press interviews, television commercials, and on radio and special features.  He recently  played the part of “Squanto” in the production of “Desperate Crossing – the Untold Story of the Mayfower” on The History Channel.

The “Cotuit Chronicles” Lecture Series is an annual program of the Historical Society of Santuit & Cotuit.  The society administers the Samuel B. Dottridge Homestead, the William Morse Fire Museum and the Historical Society Museum at its headquarters at 1148 Main Street in Cotuit.  The Whitcomb Archival Room, housed at the museum, is open to the public. For complete information, visit the society’s web site at www.cotuithistoricalsociety.org.

This September 19th lecture by Jonathan Perry is co-sponsored by J. POWER & COMPANY marketing and public relations.