William Apess (1798-1839) was a Pequot Indian, a Methodist preacher and a widely celebrated writer who fought alongside the Mashpee Wampanoag to regain their sovereignty and rights to their ancestral
Colrain honors Pequot Nation activist William Apess
Jim Peters expresses appreciation to the town of Colrain for its commemoration of William Apess on Friday outside the Griswold Memorial Library. Peters is a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe and has been executive director of the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs for 20 years. FOR THE RECORDER/ELLA ADAMS
Elders of the Mashpee Wampanoag applaud event speakers at the inaugural William Apess Day in Colrain on Friday. From left are Jodie Keegan, Marleen Lopez and Gail Hendricks-Hill. FOR THE RECORDER/ELLA ADAMS
Rhonda Anderson speaks at Friday’s William Apess Day event in Colrain. Anderson is Western Massachusetts commissioner on Indian Affairs and founder and co-director of the Ohketeau Cultural Center and the Native Youth Empowerment Foundation. FOR THE RECORDER/ELLA ADAMS