DEERFIELD — To mark the launch of a new photo e-book documenting the state’s indigenous sites, the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association (PVMA) is an e-book launch and occasion on Sunday.
Photographer Sandra Matthews and Nolumbeka Project President David Brule will celebrate the launch of “Occupying Massachusetts: Layers of History on Indigenous Land,” a photo eBook containing photographs of historic and new structures on Indigenous lands to show how those sites have been traditionally used and how they are used today. The presentation and signing of the e-book will take place at 10 Memorial St. On Sunday at 2 p. m. The books will be on sale.
Brule, who has an essay included in the book, said other people will see photographs of those sites in their current state, which is “a little ironic in some respects” because some of them “are not in line with existing criteria of history. ” Precision and inclusiveness. Matthews traveled throughout the state in search of local sites with a “good concentrate on western Massachusetts. “
“These are photographs that tell the story,” Bruce said. “There is no editorialization. “
While Matthews’ images tell a story without words beyond the symptoms that are presented, Brule said his essay addresses the concept of “finding a future” after the multigenerational trauma indigenous peoples have faced.
“My fundamental premise is that in talking to fashionable tribal peoples and their tribal offices,” Brule said, “finding a future is very complicated because how do you heal 400 years of loss of your homeland, the wounds and wounds that have been made and the multigenerational trauma?”
In exploring this concept, Brule expressed his private feeling that “healing will never happen, but we can find a peaceful, collaborative path. “
“My purpose is necessarily that there is no radical change, a radical apology,” Bruce said. “There will be very small steps. “
Introducing the book to residents, Brule said he and Matthews hope to raise awareness of indigenous sites found throughout the region, while also encouraging discussion about indigenous history and what the future would look like beyond the times. Brule added that his own non-public reporting and paintings with the Nolumbeka Project, a nonprofit committed to the cultural and ancient preservation of Native American history, opened his eyes to the vast history that many in the region might not be aware of.
“Growing up in Montague, in Turners Falls, as a high school student, I had no idea about this deep story here. . . I can say that most of the other people in Montague and Greenfield didn’t realize the significance of the events that happened. where they live,” Bruce said. The thirst for data has been incredible. People need to listen more and more and bring things together.
Brule and Matthews will begin their performance around 2 p. m. He said Matthews would communicate about his paintings for about 15 minutes and would also upload his own thoughts. Once they have finished speaking, they will offer a Q&A consultation and an open discussion.
More information on “Massachusetts Occupation: Layers of History on Indigenous Lands,” and how to purchase a copy, can be found at bit. ly/3SlRM4p.