PLYMOUTH – Plimoth Plantation has announced that they are altering their name as a way to be more inclusive and to better tell the story of the area’s history.
The living museum will be officially changing their name in the coming months.
In the meantime, the word “Patuxet,” the indigenous name of the area that the museum inhabits, replaced “Plantation” in a recently unveiled logo. That mark will be featured around the museum and online.
Associate Director of Marketing Kate Sheehan said the decision to change the name was considered for over a year. She said that the museum’s team asked themselves if the full story of the area’s history was being properly represented through the current name.
“What we decided was that, really, only half of the story was being reflected, and it was important to us to elevate the indigenous voice,” Sheehan explained.
Sheehan said the upcoming name change announcement lends itself to the nationwide context of recent racial injustice conversations mixed with the timing of the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s voyage to Massachusetts.
Learning from history and holding those difficult conversations, Sheehan said, are some of the roles that the organization plays.
“We’re embracing this moment in history,” she said, “and we’re embracing all of our history rather than erasing it.”
Indigenous employees of the museum and indigenous community members across the area, such as those within the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, were consulted in the decision.
The living museum is still open during the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more, visit their website by clicking here.
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