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In 2001, after nearly six years of effort, our non-profit, all-volunteer
organization snatched victory from the jaws of defeat: operating as
Friends of Wissatinnewag, Inc. (F.O.W.), we saved a very important
Native American sacred site in western Massachusetts from being
destroyed and lost forever.
Today, despite once being slated for development as a future Walmart,
and then as an industrial "park," the ancient village and burial site
known as Wissatinnewag is now owned and managed by F.O.W.
The Native ancestors buried there now have permanent protection because
of a conservation easement that F.O.W. has placed on the property. This
ensures the land can never be developed.
Our purchase of this sacred site was a wonderful victory; however,
last-minute sale negotiations forced us to borrow an additional $17,000
from a local land trust in order to close the deal. While we are eager
to begin our planned educational programs at the Wissatinnewag site, we
first need to repay this loan.
Because F.O.W. is an all-volunteer organization, we need your help to
move forward. As a non-profit, we can provide a tax deduction for your
donation. Please support the preservation of Native sacred sites with
a gift to F.O.W. Gici Oliwni (Great Thanks)!
HISTORY: The Native village of Wissatinnewag (located directly adjacent
to the Connecticut River in Greenfield, Massachusetts) was one of the
oldest continually occupied sites in our entire region, dating back
approximately 12,000 years. It is listed on both the State and Federal
Registers of Historic Places.
Wissatinnewag means "Shining Hill" and "Slippery Hill" in the Nipmuc and
Abenaki languages. This name is associated with the great waterfall
that the original village surrounded. Wissatinnewag's location at the
confluence of two important travel routes -- the Connecticut River & the
Mohawk Trail -- made it a prime location for Native diplomacy, trade,
and ceremonial activities. For thousands of years, Native peoples from
throughout the Northeast visited this village and its permanent
Pocumtuck residents during the river's abundent spring shad and salmon runs.
SACRED SITE: During the conflict known as "King Philip's Rebellion,"
Wissatinnewag was the site of one of the earliest massacres of
non-combantants in the history of Native/Colonial relations. In what
would come to be known as "Turner's Raid," a colonial militia attacked
the village and killed over 300 children, women & elders who had come
there seeking shelter from the conflict. Our organization has brought
descendants of the victims together at the site for healing ceremony.
Burial areas are strictly off-limits out of respect and to protect
against looting.
MISSION: The Friends of Wissatinnewag, Inc.'s mission is to preserve
sacred sites in the Northeast, and to educate the public about the
historical and cultural significance of these special places. F.O.W.
also has a strong educational component that seeks to inform and inspire
by teaching about the vibrant, living cultures of Native Peoples of the
Northeast.
WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW: F.O.W. is currently working on restoration of
damaged areas of the Wissatinnewag site, and has established a
educational 3 Sisters Native Garden Project. Planted with indigenous
varieties of corn, beans, & squash in a traditional Algonkian mound
style, these gardens provide opportunities to learn firsthand about
Native American agricultural practices while highlighting the importance
of protecting biodiversity in food seed. The garden is just one example
of the interesting projects F.O.W. plans to bring to the public to help
people learn more about Native history and culture. These activities
are restricted, however, by our need to repay our land trust
loan. Won't you please help?
Contact Us to make
a donation
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