PLYMOUTH – Plimoth Patuxet Museums recently announced that it has received grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Plimoth Patuxet is a living history museum of 17-century New England.
The two grants, awarded in 2020, will provide funding for educational resources focusing on the complex relationship between the Indigenous Wampanoag and English settlers.
“We are grateful to our legislators and to NEH and IMLS for the generous support for Plimoth Patuxet Museums’ educational mission,” said Plimoth Patuxet’s Executive Director Ellie Donovan.
“This is an important and timely opportunity to expand our partnership with these organizations to increase understanding, and develop innovative ways to deliver public history,” said Donovan.
The NEH “Institute for K12 Educators” grant totals $163,742, and will be used to host a summer institute for 25 K-12 teachers titled “Ancient Stories, New Neighbors: Decolonizing indigenous Homelands and 17-Century New England.”
“Ancient Stories” will use varied sources including archaeological findings, oral history and written documents to emphasize indigenous voices and depict how an Indigenous-English regional landscape evolved during he 1600s.
A three year $212,742 “Museums for America” grant from IMLS titled “History In A New Light: Reimagining Wampanoag and Indigenous Museum Education” will create nuanced and fact based educational programs regarding Indigenous perspectives.
“It is vital that students understand the complex relationship between the Pilgrims and the Native People from the perspective of those who had lived here for more than ten thousand years before the arrival of the Mayflower,” said Congressman Bill Keating.
“These federal funds will help to ensure that the next generation of students has access to materials that will teach about the wide-reaching impacts of the Pilgrims’ arrival to Patuxet,” said Keating.
“I applaud the work of Plimoth Patuxet to make these resources available and look forward to continuing to advocate for their efforts at the federal level.”
By, Matthew Tomlinson, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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