The year 2026 marks a milestone in America’s history – 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Our founding document put forward aspirations that have shaped America and inspired the world. But the Declaration may surprise you. It calls the Native peoples of America “merciless Indian Savages.”
For generations, stories of Native America have been kept separate and apart from the American story.
Connecticut Public’s journalists wanted to take a fresh look at the history of our region, featuring today’s Indigenous voices.
That led to nearly a year of reporting and research, which resulted in Still Here: Native American Resilience in New England.
We’ve interviewed dozens of people, including tribal members, historians and experts.
Diane Orson, Connecticut Public’s special correspondent, initiated this series. She got the idea from recent reporting she did about the history of slavery in Connecticut in an in-depth series called “Unforgotten," which earned a national Edward R. Murrow Award. She noticed that Native American communities kept coming up in her conversations with experts and historians.
She proposed a series of stories that would focus on Native Americans.
“I felt these were important stories in our state and in our region that should be told,” she said. “And with the 250th anniversary coming up, it felt like an especially appropriate time to tell them.”
Diane had done previous reporting on stories that intersect with Native American life: She reported on an exhibit that re-imagines maritime history through Black and indigenous views. And she’s reported on Dartmouth College returning handwritten letters, diaries, sermons and other documents of 18th-century scholar Samson Occom to the Mohegan Tribe.
While the Connecticut Public content team mostly mirrors the state’s demographics, many of the journalists involved in this series are white. We were mindful of that. We were intentional in centering our reporting on Indigenous peoples. We also worked with Silvermoon LaRose, a citizen of the Narragansett Tribal Nation, as an editorial consultant. She’s an educator, artist and assistant director of the Tomaquag Museum. We turned to her for guidance as we reported and edited the stories. We also had help from Chloe Gardiner, media and tech coordinator for the museum. Connecticut Public paid a nominal fee for consulting efforts.
Our series includes several videos and an upcoming television special; in-depth radio features that are available as podcast episodes; a radio special and digital and social media storytelling elements. We’re also hosting a community conversation in January at the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History.
This series is supported by CT Humanities, the Mohegan Tribe and Wondr Nation, a venture of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. Funding is secured independently of the newsroom, which retains full editorial control. (Read Connecticut Public’s editorial independence policy here.)
As you read, listen or watch the stories in this series, we invite you to share your feedback with us. Send us an email at stillhere@ctpublic.org.
Thank you for taking the time to explore this history.
— Eric Aasen, executive editor, Connecticut Public
Read more from Still Here: Native American Resilience in New England
Chapter 1: For Native Americans, an enduring spiritual connection to the land
Chapter 2: The hidden history of Indigenous slavery in New England and beyond
Chapter 3: 'Unsung hero:' How runner Tarzan Brown put the Narragansett tribe on the map in the 1930s
Chapter 4: Amid mist and music: A Native American reverence for water, celebrated on the banks of the CT River
Chapter 5: Power of powwow: A cultural connection echoes across generations of Native Americans
Resources
Native Northeast Portal; The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History; Reimagining New England Histories; Stolen Relations: Recovering Stories of Indigenous Enslavement in the Americas; Connecticut State Department of Education on Teaching Native American Studies; Akomawt Educational Initiative; Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center; Tantaquidgeon Museum; Tomaquag Museum; National Museum of the American Indian; Abbe Museum; Institute for New England Native American Studies; National Museum of Bermuda; National Museum of Bermuda: The Rhythm of My Spirit; Reciprocity Project; Hearst Metrotone News Collection; Yo-Yo Ma/Our Common Nature; Land Grab CT; Native Americans – Connecticut History; Martha "Matt" Langevin & Elizabeth George Plouffe Tribute Film
Books
“The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History,” Ned Blackhawk, Yale University Press
“Disowning Slavery: Gradual Emancipation and ‘Race’ in New England, 1780-1860,” Joanne Pope Melish, Cornell University Press
“Our Beloved Kin:A New History of King Philip’s War,” Lisa Brooks, Yale University Press
“On Our Own Ground: The Complete Writings of William Apess, a Pequot,” edited and with an Introduction by Barry O’Connell, University of Massachusetts Press
“The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America,” Andres Resendez, Mariner Books
“From Slaves to Soldiers: The 1st Rhode Island Regiment in the American Revolution,” Robert A. Geake and Loren M. Spears, Westholme Publishing
“Ellison ‘Tarzan’ Brown: The Narragansett Indian Who Twice Won the Boston Marathon,” Michael Ward, McFarland & Company, Inc.
“If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving,” Chris Newell and Winona Nelson, Scholastic
“Colonization and the Wampanoag Story,” Linda Coombs, Crown Books for Young Readers
“Red Road: Traditional Voices of Afro-Indigenous America,” Clan Mother Shoran Waupatukuay Piper, Conjure South Publications
Special Thanks
Silvermoon LaRose, Tomaquag Museum
Chloe Gardiner, Tomaquag Museum
Dartmouth College
University of Connecticut
Donna Halper, media historian
Library of Congress
Hearst Metrotone News Collection
Boston Public Library
Library of Congress
Cori Princell, New England News Collaborative
Vermont Public
Credits
Reporter/Producer: Diane Orson
Videography and Editing: Ryan Caron King, Mark Mirko
Digital Editor: Patrick Skahill
Executive Editor: Eric Aasen
Editorial Consultant: Silvermoon LaRose
Motion Graphics: Sam Hockaday
Audio: Glenn Goettler, Jason Mangini
Social Media Editor: Francesca Fontanez
Chief Content Officer: Vanessa de la Torre
Senior Director, Data and Digital Services Bureau: Susan Bell
Director, Digital Projects: Bill Sencio
Chief Digital Officer: Lauren Komrosky
Vice president, Community Engagement: Lucy Nalpathanchil
Feedback
Share your thoughts on the stories in this series via email at stillhere@ctpublic.org.