The Friends of the Robbins Library, together with Plug-In, will co-sponsor Director Anne Makepeace for a film screening and Q&A of her award winning film, “We Still Live Here: As Nutayuneân“. Celebrated every Thanksgiving as the Indians who saved the Pilgrims from starvation, and then largely forgotten, the Wampanoag Tribes of Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard are now saying loud and clear, and in their Native tongue, “As Nutayuneân,” – We Still Live Here. Spurred on by their celebrated linguist, Jessie Little Doe Baird, winner of a MacArthur `genius’ award, the Wampanoag are bringing their language home. Like many Native American stories, this one begins with a vision. Years ago, Jessie began having recurring dreams: familiar-looking people from another time speaking in an incomprehensible language. These visions sent her on an odyssey that would uncover hundreds of documents written in Wampanoag, lead her to a Masters in Linguistics at MIT, and result in an unprecedented feat of language reclamation by her people. Jessie’s daughter Mae is the first Native speaker of Wampanoag in a century.
This program takes place online on Tuesday, March 29 at 7:00 pm and is free and open to all. Register for this Webinar
The event is part of the library’s annual community read program, Arlington Reads Together (ART), which returns in March 2022. This year’s selected title, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer is a New York Times bestseller focusing on indigenous peoples’ understanding of the natural world, and the intersection between indigenous and scientific knowledge.
Library visitors can pick up copies of Braiding Sweetgrass at the Robbins or Fox Library, or request a copy by phone or online via the MLN catalog. The title is also available as a digital download ebook or audiobook via Hoopla. Book discussions and other events will take place throughout March. Reading Guides for the book are available for download.