[MassHistPres] Seeking Input: Municipal Responses to Tercentenary Markers

[Michael Wallace]

I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank everyone who responded to
this query, although I didn't respond individually to most of your
responses.  They reflect a broad array of opinions, and I believe it will
be helpful for our Commission to hear this spectrum as we further discuss
the matter.

Sincerely,

Michael Wallace
Sudbury Historical Commission

On Fri, Jul 12, 2024 at 4:59 PM Katina Fontes <katinafontes at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hello,
>
> Sudbury's Tercentenary markers have been the topic of ongoing
> conversations since about January 2022 when the Sudbury Clergy Association
> contacted the Sudbury DEI Commission about possible revision or removal. In
> April 2023, Athina Education hosted a public forum about Sudbury's
> Tercentenary markers that included the input of the Nipmuc and local
> stakeholders. A recording of the forum can be viewed at
> https://imd0mxanj2.execute-api.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ssr/watch/6437fbc35291f7000844eacb
>
> Conversations about these markers were simultaneously happening in nearby
> communities, including Concord, which removed its markers earlier this
> year. As part of Concord's discussions, Nancy Fresella-Lee produced a
> report about the markers for the Concord Historical Commission. It is
> attached, and I urge anyone interested in this subject to read it. (The
> report is marked DRAFT, but Nancy has permitted me to disseminate it.)
>
> Mass DOT owns the signs, but groups (including municipal boards) and
> individuals who have attempted to contact them have encountered roadblocks
> (no pun intended). Yet these markers figure prominently on the landscape of
> towns forced to respond to complaints about condition and offensive or
> inaccurate content. Concord found a way around this ownership issue by
> removing the signs for "maintenance."
>
> Like others on this thread, I believe the markers are historical artifacts
> and should be preserved. However, that does not mean they should continue
> to be posted along our roads as mini-history lessons. Some are inaccurate.
> Others include outdated and offensive language. ALL prominently display the
> state seal, an image that more than 80 towns in the commonwealth have
> indicated they wish to change through formal proclamations and referenda.
> There is also the issue of context. The signs, like the Confederate
> monuments, were posted during a period of rampant nativism and present a
> biased view of the past. And many of the Tercentaray markers are in poor
> condition and expensive to maintain. I would much rather have the markers
> removed and donated to local history organizations for preservation and
> education.
>
> I say all this to urge everyone on this listserv to think critically and
> broadly about these markers.
>
> Additional resources on this topic are available on the Athina Education
> website:
>
> https://www.athinaeducation.org/roadside-markers-forum/roadside-markers-resources
>
> Sincerely,
> Katina Fontes
> Sudbury, MA
>
> Katina Fontes, Ph.D.
>
> President & Founder
>
> Athina Education, Inc.
> [image: mobilePhone] 617-331-0375
> [image: emailAddress] katinafontes at gmail.com
> [image: website] www.athinaeducation.org
>
> On Fri, Jul 12, 2024 at 7:47 AM Leah Stanton via MassHistPres <
> masshistpres at cs.umb.edu> wrote:
>
>> Just want to clarify that I am suggesting private meetings. Start small!
>>
>> Leah
>>
>> On Thu, Jul 11, 2024 at 9:53 PM Leah Stanton <lgerlach10 at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> ~Just sent this as a simple reply. Hitting reply all now with a few
>>> edits.~
>>>
>>> I am getting the gist that you are asking about these markers because
>>> they tell history of King Phillips War from the side of the colonizers, and
>>> leave out the indigenous perspective.  I would suggest, having a bit of
>>> experience working with native groups to review history in town planning
>>> and site design documents, that you get very clear on why the town has
>>> tasked you with this.
>>>
>>> Then begin the process of reaching out to the relevant native community
>>> to ask for their input.
>>>
>>> If your commission does not have a good relationship with the relevant
>>> native group, or any relationship at all, then set up a meeting with
>>> someone who does. Explain that it is a state issue, but that the town is
>>> interested.
>>>
>>> Building the relationship can take time. It’s a sensitive topic. Be
>>> prepared that they may not want to talk to you about it at all. A lot has
>>> happened in the last 400 years.
>>>
>>> Hope that helps,
>>> Leah Stanton - Westhampton Historic Commission
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, Jul 9, 2024 at 8:14 AM Michael Wallace via MassHistPres <
>>> masshistpres at cs.umb.edu> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hello,
>>>>
>>>> I'm a member of the Sudbury Historical Commission, and at the request
>>>> of our Select Board, we are initiating additional discussion regarding the
>>>> 5 tercentenary markers in Sudbury that are largely focused on certain local
>>>> events during King Philip's War.  I'd greatly appreciate your feedback on
>>>> how your municipality is addressing these markers, including (1.) any
>>>> feedback on work to build consensus with stakeholders towards a solution,
>>>> and (2.) looking forward, how your community has rethought how its local
>>>> history should be presented and interpreted.
>>>>
>>>> Thank you in advance for your thoughts.
>>>>
>>>> Michael Wallace
>>>> Sudbury Historical Commission
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>>>>
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