When we say that the trails being run during the marathon are historic, this is what we mean. The misconception that Indigenous people were not on the land when the pilgrims came to it and were not “properly utalizing it” is a complex belief steeped in colonial violence. The narrative is meant to justify the colonization of these areas and strip Native people of our rights. Education and traditional knowledge can combat this false understanding of history. As Indigenous people we know that the seasonal migration of our people went through these spaces utilizing the land for hunting, fishing, planting and more.

During the Boston Marathon two Nipmuc runners will trace the steps of our ancestors during the spring when these lands are growing with renewed life. This chart shows the significance of this space.

What will you now begin to notice in the landscape as you gain this knowing of space and time?

Created by Ohketeau’s Jasmine Rochelle Goodspeed