- This event has passed.
FULL! Chemacheg Menuhki: Paddle Strong Opening Reception
Chemacheg Menuhki: Paddle Strong Opening Reception
May 9 at 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
The reception is full! Please come visit during our regular hours to view Chemacheg Menuhki.
Opening May 9, 2025, Chemacheg Menuhki: Paddle Strong highlights local Indigenous history and contemporary artistic practices. Co-curated with Brittney Peauwe Wunnepog Walley (Nipmuc), this installation will be on view as an ongoing exhibition at the Concord Museum.
Chemacheg Menuhki: Paddle Strong will feature Walley’s creation—a fiber basket—that draws on traditional Indigenous weaving techniques and highlights rarely acknowledged facets of regional history. Walley is a prominent emerging voice among Indigenous artists in New England, particularly for her work in fiber arts, her expertise on history and storytelling in Massachusetts, and her advocacy for Indigenous communities. The iconography on Walley’s basket explores the little-known story of the 58 Nipmuc individuals housed on the property of John Hoar in Concord (known today as Orchard House and home of author Louisa May Alcott) in 1675-1676 before being forcibly moved to Deer Island in Boston Harbor, where they were confined and many perished. Local Indigenous communities today commemorate the removal and resilience of their ancestors through time-honored ceremonies and paddling of the region’s waterways.
A related media installation will feature a film of Walley created by award-winning filmmaker and educator Roberto Mighty. The film will highlight Walley’s complex creation process, provide opportunities for close looking, and further enhance how visitors learn more about contemporary Indigenous textile arts and the traditions passed down through generations of weavers. This installation will offer an immersive experience that encourages deep reflection and engagement.
Join us on May 9th for the opening reception to hear from the artist and to enjoy Indigenous food by James Beard Foundation award-winning chef Sherry Pocknett (Mashpee Wampanoag), a concert with flute musician Hawk Henries (Chaubunagungamaug band of Nipmuc), and a drum and song performance by Larry Spotted Crow Mann (Nipmuc). The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited. Register in advance.
Chemacheg Menuhki: Paddle Strong is funded by the Coby Foundation and funded in part by Mass Humanities.
