The 4th Annual International Indigenous Peoples Cultural Conference (2IP2C) took place on June 22, 2019 at the Sailing and Education Center at Roger Williams University. Joined by members of the Federation of Aboriginal Nations of the Americas (FANA), participants in the one day conference, coordinated by the Providence Cultural Equity Initiative (PCEI), featured panel discussions and cultural demonstrations intended to positively highlight the diversity and complexity of indigenous cultures throughout the world. The theme of the conference, “Land Acknowledgement”, was facilitated through and afternoon panel discussion highlighting the ongoing efforts of indigenous leaders and Rhode Island community members to raise awareness about the traditional names, locations and regions. The panel included Raymond Two Hawks Watson of PCI and FANA, Norma Smith of the Western Rhode Island Historical Society, and David Weed, Coordinator of the Sowams Heritage Area Project. Click here for a 20-minute video of Two Hawks talking about FANA. Click here for a 29-minute of FANA Director General Neesu Wushuwunoag discussing the several different classifications of the American Indian status and how it applies to the 2020 US Census.
Raymond Two Hawks, FANA Director General Neesu Wushuwunoag, Pomham Sachem of the Mashapaug Nahaganset Tribe, describes his vision of how the tribes in Rhode Island can create a unified voice to develop cultural tourism as a way of educating the public about their history that differs from much of the colonial account.
FANA began as a confederation of aboriginal Tribes and Nations from the New England territories that were seeking to address ongoing violations of their inherent aboriginal rights and privileges by foreign entities while on their own sovereign and ancestral lands. FANA assists the efforts of its member Tribes and Nations in bringing to light more than 600 years of international and national archived history to reveal hidden truths about the true diverse cultures and heritage of America’s aboriginal populations.
