Jean Maguire
Director, Maynard Public Library
As 60 attendees arrived for a Zoom program on March 25, they could not know just how extraordinary and unforgettable the evening would be. The library was hosting the always popular local historian David Mark for the second Maynard Sesquicentennial History talk, “Before the Europeans Arrived.and After.”
The subject of the presentation was the indigenous peoples in both the local area and the greater region, and interactions between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples from the time of European arrival to the present day. We were very fortunate to be joined by Peter Running Deer Silva Arrow, Traditional Chief of the Hassanamisco Nipmuc Reservation. Before the lecture, David had communicated with Peter, who encouraged him to consult additional sources and tell an even fuller story.