CSW Welcomes Annawon Weeden for Native American Heritage Month
CSW was pleased to welcome Annawon Weeden as a special guest speaker at a virtual assembly this week in honor of Native American Heritage Month.
Born & raised on the Narragansett Tribal reservation in Charlestown Rhode Island, Annawon eventually made his home in his mother’s Wampanoag community located in Mashpee, MA.Following in his father Tall Oak's footsteps, Annawon began sharing the culture of his tribes with his family during public programs and performances at a very young age. As an adult, Annawon's passion for preserving the culture has been clear. He dedicates much of his time visiting schools, colleges, museums, libraries, birthdays, corporations and more, as he continues his efforts to correct misinformation and misrepresentation of indigenous people.
In his presentation, Annawon sought to teach community members important historical information about Massachusetts and the land they have chosen to call home, pointing out how much the land has changed over the years, and how little many people know about where they live. He also talked about the lack of representation of indigenous leadership around the country and the misinformation about U.S. history and indigenous people that gets propagated in schools, and encouraged students, faculty, and staff to work towards becoming allies and advocates for indigenous people in their own communities.
The Cambridge School of Weston is a progressive high school for day and boarding students in grades 9–12 and PG. CSW's mission is to provide a progressive education that emphasizes deep learning, meaningful relationships, and a dynamic program that inspires students to discover who they are and what their contribution is to their school, their community and the world.