On Saturday, November 16, the Acton Boxborough Family Network (ABFN) sponsored a free program for members and non-members alike at the Acton Memorial Library in observance of Native American Heritage Month. ABFN’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Coordinator, Jessica Schroeder, said, “This is the first cultural event we’ve held. We hope to do more.”
The program was facilitated by former Acton Health Director Doug Halley who shared the history of the archaeological exploration, prior to the construction of the Middle Fort Pond Brook Wastewater Treatment Plant, of a site on the Assabet River in South Acton used by Native peoples beginning at least 7000 years ago. Halley also relayed the story of the town’s efforts to retain some of the artifacts for display, and the creation of an elementary school educational program. These efforts resulted in a Historic Preservation Award from the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
Four families attended, and all ages (three generations) stayed engaged throughout Halley’s presentation, with the youngest and oldest among them asking probing questions about the narrative presented and the artifacts passed around. One youngster wanted to know why the archaeological test pits dug on the site, now known as Pine Hawk, were square instead of round. Another wanted to know whether the replicas of stone points Halley showed the attendees had been made in the traditional manner. Halley said that “they were not made by a machine; they were knapped” in the same way the authentic artifacts had been created thousands of years in the past.
The program concluded with a visit to the exhibit case located adjacent to the circulation desk, where many of the original artifacts from the site are on display. Thousands of others collected are stored at a Public Archaeology Lab facility. For more information about the exhibit and other educational resources, visit https://www.pinehawk.org/resources/. For more information about ABFN, visit abfamily.org.
Alissa Nicol is a community events beat reporter for the Acton Exchange.