The Praying Indians of Natick and Ponkapoag is a cultural heritage group that claims descendancy from
Praying Indians
Praying Indian is a 17th-century term referring to Native Americans of New England, New York, Ontario, and Quebec who converted to Christianity either voluntarily or involuntarily. Many groups are referred to by the term, but it is more commonly ...
in
, including the
Massachusett people
The Massachusett were a Native American tribe from the region in and around present-day Greater Boston in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name comes from the Massachusett language term for "At the Great Hill," referring to the Blue Hills ...
, an
Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands
Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands include Native American tribes and First Nation bands residing in or originating from a cultural area encompassing the northeastern and Midwest United States and southeastern Canada. It is part ...
.
While they identify as a
Native American tribe
In the United States, an American Indian tribe, Native American tribe, Alaska Native village, tribal nation, or similar concept is any extant or historical clan, tribe, band, nation, or other group or community of Native Americans in the Unit ...
, they are
unrecognized, meaning they are neither a
federally recognized tribe
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 ...
nor a
state-recognized tribe
State-recognized tribes in the United States are organizations that identify as Native American tribes or heritage groups that do not meet the criteria for federally recognized Indian tribes but have been recognized by a process established under ...
.
Nonprofit organizations
The Praying Indians of Natick and Ponkapoag is a 501(c)(3)
nonprofit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
organization established under the name "Praying Indians of Natick Mother Village Ut Ponkapog Kah Peantamoonk Otanash Yeshuatribal Council, Inc." in 1996.
They are based in
Stoughton, Massachusetts
Stoughton (official name: Town of Stoughton) is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 29,281 at the 2020 census. The town is located approximately from Boston, from Providence, Rhode Island, and from Cape ...
.
[
]
Officers
The officers of the Praying Indians of Natick and Ponkapoag are as follows:
* Rosita Andrews, president
* Rosita Andrews, treasurer
* Amber Orlando, clerk
* Rosita Andrews, assistant clerk.[
Shawn V. Silva, also known as StrongMedicine Bear, served as director from 1996 to 2019.][ Silva is Andews' son.][
]
Activities
Rosita Andrews is a public speaker, who goes by the name Chief Caring Hands. She spoke to the Natick School Committee to retire their Native American mascot.[ Andrews also officiated the wedding of her son StrongMedicine Bear and WarriorWoman at the historic Eliot Church in ]Natick, Massachusetts
Natick ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 37,006 at the 2020 census. west of Boston, Natick is part of the Greater Boston area. ...
, in 2015.
The Boston Equal Rights League invites representatives of the organization its annual Faneuil Hall commemoration of the Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre (known in Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain as the Incident on King Street) was a confrontation in Boston on March 5, 1770, in which a group of nine British soldiers shot five people out of a crowd of three or four hu ...
.
The organization hosts an annual powwow
A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native American and First Nations communities. Powwows today allow Indigenous people to socialize, dance, sing, and honor their cultures. Powwows may be private or pu ...
at Cochituate State Park
Cochituate State Park is a Massachusetts day-use state park located on Lake Cochituate in the town of Natick. The park is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Activities and amenities
The park offers motor boating, sailing, ...
.[
]
See also
* Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag
The Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag is a cultural heritage group that claims descendancy from the Massachusett people, an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands.
While they identify as a Native American tribe, they are unrecognized, m ...
* List of unrecognized tribes in the United States
Unrecognized tribes in the United States are organizations of people who claim to be historically, culturally, and/or genetically related to historic Native American Indian tribes but who are not officially recognized as Indigenous nations by the ...
External links
Praying Indians of Natick and Ponkapoag
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Praying Indians Of Natick And Ponkapoag
Christian organizations established in 1996
Non-profit organizations based in Massachusetts
Organizations established in 1996
Organizations based in Massachusetts
Unrecognized tribes in the United States