Sakonnet Mishoon Artist’s Residency

Master mishoon maker Jonathan James-Perry (Aquinnah Wampanoag) joined us in an artist’s residency this past September. He led a team of Wampanoag artisans and paddlers in the making of a Wampanoag mishoon (dugout canoe) at LCHS, which is located on the traditional homelands of the Sakonnet Wampanoag people. Jonathan and his team then conducted a Reconnecting Ceremony and launched the mishoon near Squant Rock, a sacred Wampanoag site, at Sakonnet Point, and paddled the mishoon on the Sakonnet River. In this talk, Jonathan will share his personal insights about the project.

Traditional singer, dancer, speaker and carver, Jonathan James-Perry is grounded in the traditions of his ocean-going ancestors. He considers designs by examining the raw materials closely, and draws his images from the grain, hues, and patina of wood, stone, and copper. Jonathan enjoys using the materials and knowledge handed down from his ancestors to express his understanding of the natural world as well as the changes over time since Creation. His mentors, like the late Nanepashemet (Tony Pollard) of the Wampanoag Nation, have taught him to observe and take special care when handling these materials, and breathing life into his pieces of art. Jonathan’s work embodies the refined quality of those of his ancestors, while still drawing upon his experience in a contemporary society. His pieces reflect balance within the Natural World, incorporating stories, effigies, and symbology of Wampanoag traditions.