Two paintings by artist Ruth Major were placed on display at the Weaver Public Library in East Providence, RI on September 3, 2021. Sowams Sowams Heritage Area Project Coordinator Dr. David Weed and Library Director Joyce May stand next to one depicting the Massasoit Ousamequin and the other the settlement where he lived. Today’s East Providence (originally called Rehoboth) was part of Sowams, or the “Southern Area” that was home to the Pokanoket Tribe for thousands of years until their displacement following the King Philip War in 1675-76. “Ruth has done a fabulous job of researching each of these images,” noted Weed. “The elements within each painting were described in 17th century documents, so they are historically accurate,” he added. Click here for a description of the portrait, here for one of the settlement, here for a booklet about the Pokanoket Tribe, and here for a 7-minute video about the painting of the Sowams winter settlement.