TURNERS FALLS, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) — The Great Falls Discovery Center is one of nine Department of Conservation and Recreation properties to participate in the First Peoples First Stewards Children’s Library.

The program is promoting youth-focused written works by Native American authors celebrating Indigenous communities, histories, and relationships with the land. 

From the Department of Recreation and Conservation:

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) announced today the start of the First Peoples First Stewards (FPFS) Children’s Library, a new initiative available at nine DCR properties, designed to promote youth-focused written works by Native American authors. Featuring more than 20 titles, the reading library program celebrates the region’s Indigenous communities, histories, and their enduring relationship to the lands and waters that make up the nearly half a million acres that DCR stewards across Massachusetts.

“Massachusetts’ history began long before the arrival of colonists, with Indigenous communities who cared for the land and continue to do so today. As stewards of this land, DCR has a responsibility to preserve and uplift the stories of our first and continuing stewards,” said DCR Commissioner Nicole LaChapelle. “By making this history accessible at DCR properties, we hope visitors gain a deeper understanding of what these lands represent –and the people who have been connected to them for generations.” 

“I am delighted visitors are being welcomed across Massachusetts with Indigenous-created books through DCR’s First Peoples First Stewards Children’s Library,” said Traci Sorell, author and Cherokee Nation citizen. “I am honored some of my books are included but especially heartened that creators from local Native Nations have titles provided too. Wado (thank you)!”

In many Indigenous traditions, winter is a time when communities come together to tell stories and pass knowledge onto younger generations. This winter, the First Peoples First Stewards Partnership Program invites the public to nine visitor centers at parks and watersheds throughout Massachusetts to have an experience grounded in that tradition. Each library will feature works of fiction and non-fiction depicting accurate, first-hand accounts of Indigenous history, culture and lived experience, available for reading on site.

Visitors will be able to peruse titles in the new reading libraries and sit with their family members to enjoy  stories in the following visitor centers:  Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park in Uxbridge; Blackstone River Greenway Visitor Center at Worcester; Blue Hills Reservation in Milton; Borderland State Park in North Easton; Breakheart Reservation in Saugus; Fall River Heritage State Park; Great Falls Discovery Center in Turners Falls; Mount Greylock State Reservation in Lanesborough; and the Quabbin Reservoir in Belchertown. 

The reading library locations were intentionally chosen to provide experiences across various geographical areas of the state. FPFS will continue to evaluate other potential sites for additional libraries at DCR properties.

“Developing the First Peoples First Stewards Children’s Library for DCR visitor centers is a project that has brought me joy and is near and dear to my heart. As a former educator specializing in Indigenous content, it is vital that the Indigenous visitors see themselves represented at DCR properties, and that non-Indigenous visitors can be introduced to Indigenous literature and  experience in a matter of minutes an Indigenous perspective on life, the environment and community,” said DCR Indigenous People’s Partnership Coordinator Leah Hopkins and a citizen of the Narragansett Indian Tribe. “The books in each of the libraries tell both traditional and contemporary stories and not only represent local Indigenous voices but also stories from other parts of Turtle Island (North America). They all share common themes of community, resilience and connection to the land—concepts we can all connect to.”

The First Peoples First Stewards Children’s Library represents an important step in FPFS and DCR’s ongoing commitment to promote and provide space for public dialogue on Indigenous experiences in a way that is respectful and interactive. The books provided at each location were thoughtfully curated to ensure accurate, first-person representations of Indigenous culture, history, and stories.

Through the FPFS Partnership, DCR aims to uplift the cultural continuity and sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples by building reciprocal relationships with Tribal Governments and Indigenous Community Stakeholders. These relationships will inform DCR land management practices by centering traditional ecological knowledge and Indigenous culture.

For more information about the Partnership and the work of DCR’s Indigenous Peoples Partnership Coordinator, visit the program’s DCR First Peoples First Stewards Partnership webpage.