Mayor Fuller’s latest letter dropped today, and she links to the city’s Overdue: Confronting Race & Racism in Newton page.
Which has this at the top of the page:
And, this at the bottom:
The city seal, celebrating John Eliot converting the indigenous people of what is now Newton.
And, it’s not the most problematic part of the email.
In 1689, John Eliot endowed what is now the Eliot School of Fine Applied Arts in Jamaica Plain with 75 acres of land on the condition that it admit Blacks and Indigenous people equally with Whites. It’s been open 340 years. The current building dates from 1832, continuing to offer courses in arts and crafts to all.
https://historicboston.org/the-eliot-school-of-fine-applied-arts/
https://www.jphs.org/colonial-era/eliot-school-in-session-here-since-1676.html
They offer great classes and great community. They are well worth a visit and, in these difficult financial times, your tax-exempt contribution.
https://eliotschool.org/
https://eliotschool.org/donate
Self-loathing won’t end systematic or micro-aggressions between the races in America
Good grief.
Can’t you find something a little more current to worry about?
What is the point of this post? You have already written at length about the city seal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_imperialism
@ Mike Halle… I believe that is called a “Mike Drop”!
Michael, you and Sean should find some indigenous peoples to donate your house in Newton to. Or if you can’t find any, at least a black family. Anything less would mean you remain complicit in racist, culturally imperialistic standards.
Craig, I don’t think that individual real estate transactions would be in any way sufficient for the restoration of the First Peoples’ land relationship, but way to show your true colors by casually conflating and dismissing the forced removal of Native Americans with reparations for slavery.
No need to stop with just your individual real estate. I’m sure you could find a more worthy recipient of your 529 savings than your own white children.
But I think we both know that you don’t intend to personally sacrifice anything for your wokeness.
I’m not John Eliot expert, but my understanding is that he defended the rights of local tribes in the face of a European-based legal and property system. He learned their languages and taught them skills and a way of life that helped them to co-exist with the colonists. He fought the system for fairness for tribes and individuals.
As for “cultural imperialism”, Eliot was a preacher and missionary in the middle of a massive colonization. Preacher gonna preach.
Relevant wikipedia articles:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Eliot_(missionary)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praying_Indian
The latter article says that there are still descendants of the “Praying Indians” in the area. Rather than conjecture further as a white European, I would be interested to get the view of someone who has a personal connection or at least a clearer historical view.
I must say this was a very interesting introduction for me to the early history of the region.
Here is the web site of the Praying Indian tribe in Natick. It’s a few years out of date.
https://natickprayingindians.org/
They have a history page that references John Eliot. The page said that when the tribes were banished to Deer Island during King Philip’s war, John Eliot tried to bring them supplies by boat but was capsized by angry colonists.
The site says that their powwow is held on the last weekend of September every year at Cochituate State Park. I have heard that many tribes across the US have moved their powwows online, which offers an amazing opportunity for all of us to share in a different culture. I don’t know if the Natick tribe will be part of that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMMGZqu_J0M
Craig, it’s tough for me to debate what you “think we both know” about my intentions. So you win this round! Next, can I share what I think we both know about your thought processes?
Michael Halle, the indefensible cultural imperialism of which John Eliot was an agent went well beyond the preacher preaching (although indoctrination of the Native Americans into devout Puritanism was reprehensible enough). Its intent was to maximize settlers’ land area and safety, not only against the more easily controlled Praying Indian villages but particularly against the unconverted. And needless to say, Eliot’s efforts to strip Native Americans of their long-established cultural and spiritual beliefs included the attempted abolition of pow wows.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/1918981.pdf