Paula Peters is a journalist, educator and activist. A member of the
Wampanoag
The Wampanoag , also rendered Wôpanâak, are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands based in southeastern Massachusetts and historically parts of eastern Rhode Island,Salwen, "Indians of Southern New England and Long Island," p. 17 ...
tribe, she has spent most of her life in her tribal homeland of
Mashpee, Massachusetts
Mashpee ( wam, Mâseepee) is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States, on Cape Cod. The population was 15,060 as of 2020. The town is the site of the headquarters and most members of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, one of two feder ...
. She hails from a prominent
Mashpee Wampanoag
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (formerly Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribal Council, Inc.) is one of two federally recognized tribes of Wampanoag people in Massachusetts. Recognized in 2007, they are headquartered in Mashpee on Cape Cod. The other ...
family, including Tribal Chairman Russell "Fast Turtle" Peters (her father), and was active in the tribe's long and contested push for
federal recognition
This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States of America. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes were legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United ...
.
In a 2006 interview with NPR, Peters recalled a time when "nobody in Washington cared much about which tribes were recognized."
Like her father before her, Peters served on the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council. In 2005, she ran against Glenn Marshall for Council Chairperson.
Writing career
Peters has made several endeavors outside the realm of journalism. In 2009 she presented her work, "Wampanoag Reflections" to the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants in
Cohasset, Massachusetts
Cohasset is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 8,381.
History
Cohasset was inhabited for thousands of years by Native Americans prior to European colonization, from whom English c ...
.
She has written several essays, including "A Lesser-Known Atlantic Crossing"
and "Epanow's Escape."
Peters's work has been republished in an anthology of Native American writing from New England, including "Wampanoag Reflections," as well as a piece about cultural appropriation called "Beware: Not All Terms Are Fair Game".
Peters is also the author of
Mashpee Nine: A Story of Cultural Justice, published by
SmokeSygnals in 2016.
Public education career
In addition to her writing and consulting, Peters has worked as a public educator of Native history. She served for a time as Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the Wampanoag Indian Program at
Plimoth Plantation
Plimoth Patuxet is a complex of living history museums in Plymouth, Massachusetts, founded in 1947. Formerly Plimoth Plantation, it replicates the original settlement of the Plymouth Colony established in the 17th century by the English coloni ...
.
Peters has joined the committee of Plymouth, 400 Inc., a non-profit organization committed to planning a commemoration for the 400th anniversary of the landing of the
Mayflower
''Mayflower'' was an English ship that transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620. After a grueling 10 weeks at sea, ''Mayflower'', with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, r ...
in 1620.;
she represents Wampanoag interests on the organization's board of directors.
In this capacity, she also served as the executive producer and a main contributor to the exhibit "Captured: 1614" located at the Plymouth Public Library in
Plymouth, Massachusetts
Plymouth (; historically known as Plimouth and Plimoth) is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Located in Greater Boston, the town holds a place of great prominence in American history, folklore, and culture, and is known as ...
.
The exhibit, unveiled in November 2014, marked the 400th anniversary of the kidnapping of Squanto and 19 other Wampanoag tribe members, who were brought to Europe to be sold as slaves. The exhibit, conceptualized and designed by Peters's company Smoke Sygnals, seeks to inform the public about what happened with Native Americans in the years prior to 1620. The exhibit explains how Squanto and Samoset were so well-equipped to communicate with American settlers when they landed at Plymouth Rock;
Peters sees it as lending Wampanoag voice to the telling of American history.
Journalism and Opinion Pieces
Wal-Mart rumor has Falmouth talking" ''Cape Cod Times'', October 10, 1998.
*
Martha's Vineyard Supports New Bedford" Cape Cod Times, March 30, 1999.
*"Back on Track." ''Cape Cod Times'', March 12, 2000.
*"Worlds Rejoined." ''Cape Cod Times'', July 13, 2002.
*"Nantucket Dealer Tied to Stolen Document." ''Cape Cod Times'', April 5, 2003.
*
Young Artist Spreads Cheer" ''Cape Cod Times'', November 26, 2006.
Wampanoag Didn't Need to Cheat" ''Cape Cod Times'', December 19, 2008.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peters, Paula
Living people
20th-century American journalists
20th-century American women journalists
21st-century American journalists
21st-century American women journalists
20th-century Native Americans
Native American journalists
Native American people from Massachusetts
Mashpee Wampanoag people
Year of birth missing (living people)
21st-century Native American women
20th-century Native American women
21st-century Native American writers