Recap: Virtual Panel Discussion on Local Social Change Initiatives
On Monday, October 5, 2020 the Leadership Team of the Mass. Center for Native American Awareness (MCNAA) hosted an exciting and highly successful virtual Panel Discussion with a number of Native members, friends, and allies who are working on ongoing social change/justice initiatives throughout Massachusetts.
The following is a list of the incredible panelists who joined us and a brief description of their local or statewide initiative, along with updates since their presentation:
Pictured above: Panelist David Detmold, Rhonda Anderson, Judy Matthews, Maggie Day and Nicole Dale (Panelists Elizabeth Hylton and Dr. Matthew Janger are not visible in the screen shot.) Board Members Claudia Fox Tree, Kim Orben, Anthony SkyHawk, Burne Stanley, and Dawn Duncan.
Judy Matthews of Haverhill, MA is a retired public relations professional. She has worked at public TV station WGBH Boston for more than 30 years. She also is a past president of the Association of Employees of the Educational Foundation, WGBH’s independent employees’ union, now Communications Workers of America local 13. Current initiatives include working to raise awareness about and the removal of the racist and colonialist origins of the 17th-century legend of Puritan Haverhill settler Hannah Duston and the statue erected in her honor in 1879, which stands in a Haverhill public park.
Shortly after Judy’s presentation that evening, she was contacted by two people; one was a woman who wants to start an Anti-racist Alliance, and the other was the President of her local Chamber of Commerce. They want to start working together for racial justice in the City including the statue. We are feeling that the energy that was put out into the universe during the presentation must have been potent as there’s definitely an awakening happening here.
A day later, friends and social change allies called or e-mailed letters to the City Council strongly advocating for the removal of the offensive statue. We are all hopeful that this will happen without further protest.
Elizabeth Hylton of Shrewsbury, MA is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, and Drama therapy student. She is the president and founder of the non-profit organization Jamaican American's for a Better Jamaica. Current initiatives include advocating for the new way-finder signs that the Town is proposing, to include and pay homage to the Native Tribe that was displaced from their land in order for the town to be incorporated.
Elizabeth has since been appointed to the Town’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee which will put her in a better position to push for the new signs to include and pay homage to the Nipmuc Tribe.
David Detmold is the founding editor of the weekly newspaper Montague Reporter. He was active in the successful struggle to change the Native sports mascot at the Turner Falls High School in 2016-17. In the summer of 2017, he rode his bicycle from the Mashpee powwow to Standing Rock in South Dakota, and then on the Black Hills. He is the coordinator of the website changethemassflag.com. Current initiatives include advocating on a bill to change the Massachusetts state flag and seal. S.1877/H.2776.
A day later, a call to action was sent out for allies to write letters to their legislators in support for the bill.
Rhonda Anderson, Iñupiaq - Athabascan from Alaska, living in Colrain, MA is currently the Western Massachusetts Commissioner on Indian Affairs. She is also a member of the Mass. Mascot Steering Committee, as well as a classically trained herbalist, silversmith, and an activist. She works as an educator within area schools and the 5 colleges near her home in Massachusetts. Current initiatives include advocating for the removal of mascots, images, and logos in Massachusetts public schools.
Dr. Matthew Janger of Arlington, MA is the Principal at Arlington High School. He has worked hard on issues of equity and inclusion. Current and future initiatives include changing the school seal, examining the symbolism of Cyrus Dallin’s work in his town, engaging student leaders with the work to honor Indigenous People’s Day, reviewing school curriculum around local Indigenous People, and an ongoing student/staff Anti-Racism Working Group.
Maggie Day of Maynard, MA began her teaching career as an elementary teacher at a tribal school on the Yankton Sioux Reservation in SD. After she moved back to MA, she obtained a degree in Special Education. She retired from teaching special education in Westboro in 2014. Now she mostly identifies as grandma (Namma) and is working to reduce the harm her Lakota grandson will experience when he begins school. Maggie is a member of the Maynard Anti Racism Alliance (MARA). Current initiatives include trying to lift the visibility of indigenous peoples and advocate for changes in the schools. (Through the efforts of MARA, in the summer of 2020, the Town changed Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day.)
Nicole Day, Hunkpapa Lakota (Standing Rock), of Maynard, MA works in the healthcare field and is a member of the Maynard Anti-Racism Alliance (MARA). She is working to ensure a more inclusive environment and diverse curriculum in the Maynard school system so that her three-and-a-half-year-old son can hopefully have a better experience than she did while at the same time, pushing for important and necessary changes on the state and federal levels. Current initiatives include trying to lift the visibility of indigenous peoples and advocate for changes in the schools. (Through the efforts of MARA, in the summer of 2020, the Town changed Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day.
MCNAA will continue to support these initiatives but we invite members and friends, who feel inspired, to also reach out in support of these individuals who are spearheading these important initiatives.
Here are a few comments from the event:
I was so proud and excited to participate last night and so inspired by everyone’s commitment to making the world more just. And your encouragement makes a huge difference. I can’t thank you enough for including me. You probably could tell from my unwillingness to let go at the end that I was hungry for more conversation and sharing of information. I’m ready for “Sharing Circle for Allies, Part 2”!
–Judy M.
Thank you so much for including me in the conversation. I learned a great deal and was inspired by the words and advice shared during the panel. I hope that I will continue to have future opportunities to work with you and the MCNAA to support and inform our students and community.
–Matthew J.
It was an honor and a pleasure to be part of the discussion in last night's sharing circle! I learned so much for all who participated and shared, and wish I could have been sitting with them in person, and interacting with the rest of the people who signed in.
–David D.
I was blessed to be a listener to all the wonderful presentations & look forward to the next sharing circle.
–Marj S.