Leaders from the local Natick Nipmuc Tribe joined members of the Framingham State University community on Tuesday, Sept. 4th, for the unveiling of a student-created Native American Land Acknowledgement Mural in Henry Whittemore Library.

The mural, which depicts several scenes of Nipmuc living and connection to the land and water, was painted by four Framingham State students under the direction of Art Professor Marc Cote.

“Members of the Nipmuc Tribe lent their expertise, advice, and impassioned commentary throughout the planning and completion of the project,” Cote said prior to the unveiling. “It was a wonderful experience for the students to get that input and feel more confident about the authenticity of their creation.”

The students who created the mural are Andreas Chaniotakis, Marcus Falcao, Jaclyn Gattonini, and Zoe Holland. 

“Being here today was amazing,” Falcao said after the ceremony. “We had been communicating with the tribal members through Zoom, so getting to see them in person and show them the mural was really special.” 

Framingham State University sits on the ground that was the original homeland of the Nipmuc Tribal Nations. The mural is part of a larger effort led by FSU President Nancy S. Niemi and Vice President and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Jeffrey Coleman, to foster deeper ties between the University and local tribal groups.

“FSU is committed to being an integral part of the surrounding communities,” Dr. Niemi said. “This effort is education at its best, as we honor and respect the many indigenous peoples connected to this land.”

Those in attendance included Steven Goler, Chief of the Natick Nipmuc Tribe, Maria Turner, Chairwoman of the Nipmuc Tribe, and Emma Jo Brennan, from the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.

“We thank Marc and the students for this beautiful mural,” Turner said. “We couldn’t ask for anything better. It really is heartwarming to look at.”

Coleman said the mural is just one step in what he expects will be a much larger learning partnership between Framingham State and local tribes.

“The development of a land acknowledgment should be motivated by genuine respect and support for native peoples,” Dr. Coleman said. “It’s an important step in creating collaborative, accountable, and respectful relationships with indigenous nations and communities.”

About the Mural

The mural depicts several scenes of Nipmuc living. A central theme in the images is the connection of the Nipmuc to land and water. The Nipmucs traditionally fish and hunt to sustain themselves, so various land and water animals common to the region are included. The right side of the painting emphasizes freshwater fishing with sturgeon, eel, and painted turtles, among other animals. The left side of the mural highlights hunting and foraging on the land with deer and traditional herbs like sage. The upper right area of the mural shows a stormy rendering of Deer Island, where Natick Nipmucs were forcibly interned during the King Phillip War. More than half of the Nipmuc interned there died during that period. The artists include a breaking of the storm on the right side of the island to suggest a more promising future for the native tribes. Ancestral and contemporary Nipmuc figures populate the composition. In the lower middle, a mother and child are painted, emphasizing the matriarchal nature of the Nipmuc. The lower left shows a grandmother and grandchild; Nipmuc fishing in a mishoon (traditional canoe) are seen in the right upper middle; seven generations of Nipmuc are depicted in the upper middle and ancestral figures are visually fused into the hills on the upper left and right. The sun rises on the east side of the paining and the moon shows itself over the Western Hills. 

The mural was painted in the spring semester and early summer 2024 by FSU students Andreas Chaniotakis, Marcus Falcao, Jaclyn Gattonini, and Zoe Holland.