Online or by mail: Patrick Thomas White Committee • 81 Hawthorne St. • Lenox, MA 01240
Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans
What an honor it was for the Town to host Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Stockbridge-Munsee President Shannon Holsey, the Secretary of Energy, Undersecretary for Climate, Undersecretary for Environmental Justice, and so many others for the Municipal Vulnerabilities Preparedness announcement a few weeks ago right here in Stockbridge.
Stockbridge was asked to host this forum because the Stockbridge-Munsee application to purchase the Swann's 351-acre parcel for preservation scored highest of all the MVP applications for the entire state.
Many thanks to Shannon and her team in Wisconsin, including Joe Miller and Monique Tyndall, for working tirelessly on this grant application. Thanks to Bonney Hartley, who works from right here in the Berkshires to educate and inform, while advocating on behalf of the Tribe. And thanks to Rich Bradway and Jess Toro of the Stocbridge Land Trust who worked so hard on this grant, as well as Jenny Hansell and Beth Mills of Berkshire Natural Resources and consultant Sandra Prytherch for their work on supporting the application. Finally, thanks to Laurie Norton Moffatt and the entire Norman Rockwell team for pulling off a lunch for 50 with just 48 hours notice! It was amazing.
Finally, a special thank you to Oleander Stone, the state contact/climate guru who has helped me and the entire town navigate the MVP process from day one three years ago. Oleander is an example of an extraordinary public servant, someone who cares deeply and passionately and helps the rest of us understand the challenges before us. Like so many others, she has helped me immeasurably as I get up to speed on the issues the Town faces.
This acquisition marks a turning point in the Town's relationship with the Tribe. It has been literally over two centuries since the Mohicans left Stockbridge in sorrow. I for one welcome them back to Town with open arms and an open mind. In our country today, reconciliation seems so hard and yet I am hoping that it's not so hard here at home. Let's listen and learn and make some new friends and recognize that Stockbridge is big enough for all of us. Welcome home, my new friends.
I've been on the forefront of multiple efforts to foster reconciliation. One of my first initiatives in office was to return 18th century documents to the Tribe. We passed it at town meeting. Smitty sponsored the required legislation. The governor signed it. We returned the documents.
I've also worked closely with the Tribe on burial ground issues. I recently proposed, in close consultation with the Tribal Liaison, a Stockbridge Mohican Commission to advocate for educational, land, outreach to bring our communities closer together.
Let me close by saying: these folks are nice. Wonderful really. Their nation has 1,600 members. They are so similar to us, basically the reservation strikes me as very similar to our Berkshire small towns. Get to know them! I know I am glad I did.
PS: Running costs money. I need your help. If you believe, like I do, that we have hope, that we can control our own destiny, that we can move the needle on the seemingly intractable issues we face, please consider donating to my campaign.
