The Ancestors Want Their Stories Told

Linda Coombs is a citizen of the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe, and a Wampanoag historian, educator and author. She will be presenting “The Ancestors Want Their Stories Told”, which will focus on particular individuals and their lives. Some may be known, having made it into the historical record, and some are not, but all of their stories hold an important place in developing an appropriate context for understanding the history of this country. Coombs will consider how history has been presented, what has been included, what has been left out, and how that has created a skewed understanding of history. The history of Wampanoag people, and in the larger picture all Indigenous people, has not been accurately, comprehensively, or appropriately told, and it is important to consider the impacts of this.

The event will be held on Wednesday, Dec 6, at the NPS Salt Pond Visitor’s Center. The program starts at 3 to allow school children to come after school.

Linda’s new book, “Colonization and the Wampanoag Story” is part of the Crown Books for Young Readers series Race to the Truth. While it is written for young readers, it “is about Indigenous history, specifically that of the Wampanoag and other Southern New England tribes” and will be of interest to adult readers as well.

This talk is the final and 17th event in 2023 of a MA Humanties and MA Cultural Council funded series on the Outer Cape entitled: “Building Relationship, Building Equity: Acknowledging Continuing Wampanoag Presence on Cape Cod”.

The series has been hosted by Nauset Interfaith’s MLK Action Team who are grateful for this chance to present at the National Seashore Park’s Salt Pond Visitor’s Center auditorium.