The Great Blue Heron Glides into the Library

Since November is Native American Heritage Month, we're displaying an Audubon print that has significance to the Indigenous community. The Great Blue Heron (plate 211) will be on display in the library through December 7. The Great Blue Heron is an adaptable water bird that resides in both fresh and salt water - specifically marshes, swamps, shores, and tide flats. It feeds mostly by walking slowly or standing still in shallow water, as depicted here. You might also spot one gliding high above. The adult male is shown in this print, but the female looks very similar. You can read more about the Great Blue Heron in the Audubon Field Guide. 

For members of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, who inhabit Massachusetts and Eastern Rhode Island, the Great Blue Heron represents patience, balance, and accuracy. Read a homage to this stately water bird in a past issue of Mittark, the monthly newsletter of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. 

Elizabeth Roscio

Preservation Librarian

Native American Heritage Month

November is Native American Heritage Month! This designated month celebrates and honors the history, cultures, and contributions of Native Americans to the United States. The idea for a day to recognize and honor the American Indian was first promoted around 1911 by Dr. Arthur C. Parker. Parker, of Seneca descent, was director of the Rochester Museum of Arts and Sciences and once President of the Society of American Indians, worked to educate the public on Native American history. As part of his efforts, Parker suggested the Boy Scouts of America adopt a “First Americans” day. Then, beginning in 1916, many states enacted an “American Indian Day” as the result of campaigns by the American Indian Association. In 1990, under President George H.W. Bush, the U.S. officially proclaimed November as Native American History Month.  

To celebrate, the State Library is highlighting a few titles in our collection that enhance the historical narrative of the nation’s indigenous populations. These engaging, informative titles shed light on the often-untold events and experiences of Native Americans.  

Our Beloved Kin: A New History of King Philip's War (2018) by Lisa Brooks - Centered on the events of King Philip’s War (1675-76), or the First Indian War, which was primarily waged in southern New England between chief Metacom (also known by the English name Philip) of the Wampanoag Tribe and the English colonists of Plymouth Colony. Brooks crafts a compelling narrative of the war told through two different perspectives, one from Weetamoo, a female leader of the Wampanoag, and the other through James Printer, a writer and scribe of the Nipmuc Tribe. Lisa Brooks, a writer and historian of Abenaki descent, is an Associate Professor at Amherst College.  

Unworthy Republic: The Dispossession of Native Americans and the Road to Indian Territory (2020) by Claudio Saunt - Described as “masterful and unsettling,” Saunt’s Unworthy Republic details the U.S. government's extreme efforts for ‘Indian Removal’ during the 1830s. This title provides an important and well researched retelling of the violence, betrayal, and political schemes to displace Native Americans from their lands and homes to benefit the expanding country. Saunt is a historian, author, and Professor in American History at the University of Georgia.  

Covered with Night: A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America (2021) by Nicole Eustace - A gripping account of the 1722 murder of an indigenous man in the woods of Pennsylvania by two white colonists. Eustace relays the crime and the subsequent criminal investigation, while at the same time exploring the disparities between Native American forms of justice and the colonists’ ideas of British law. Eustace is a Professor of History at New York University.  

To learn more about Native American Heritage Month, including information on the exhibitions and webinars available for you to view this month, visit NativeAmericanHeritageMonth.gov. And for more information on the titles listed above, contact the State Library’s Reference Department by emailing reference.department@mass.gov, by calling 617-727-2590, or by chatting with us. 

April Pascucci
Reference Librarian