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How did the Narragansett people live before their first contact with Europeans and how did their lifestyles change in subsequent centuries? This slide presentation illustrates traditional ways of making shelters, clothing, food, and medicine from nearby natural resources. Learn about how families honored Mother Earth by moving between low-impact seasonal habitations and about the ecological values of Narragansetts today. A hands-on exhibit of items from daily life and participation in a traditional dance of unity and peace make this presentation fun for people of all ages.
Dr. Ella Sekatau, DHL (Doctor of Humane Letters) is the Narragansett Tribal Ethno-historian and Medicine Woman. Having learned about her people's history and customs from elders and through practical participation all her life, she shares her knowledge with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. For five years, she directed the Native-American program at Plimoth Plantation, which is on a site previously called Pawtuxet where Narragansetts summered. For the past twenty-eight years, Dr. Sekatau has given educational presentations for pre-school to PhD level audiences in school systems and colleges throughout Southern New England.