The Wampanoag Culture has been a part of the Massachusetts and Rhode Island region for thousands of years. During this presentation, Darius Coombs will talk about how the Wampanoag Culture thrived during normal times. He will share how this normalcy was disrupted and the consequences of those actions on the people. There have been many efforts to keep the Wampanoag Culture alive and progressive. These accomplishments include the recovery of the language, material culture, self-pride, and more. Join Darius for an exploration of Wampanoag history through the centuries.
About Darius Coombs:
Darius Coombs is a Mashpee Wampanoag tribal citizen and is the Cultural Outreach Coordinator for the Mashpee Wampanoag Education Department. He was the former Director of the Wampanoag Indigenous Program at Plimoth/ Patuxet Museums for over 30 years. Over his career Darius has worked with Smithsonian, History Channel, National Geographic, and Scholastic to name a few. His teaching of Wampanoag and other Indigenous cultures in the history of the northeast is recognized throughout the country. He has presented at conferences, colleges, historical societies, museums, indigenous institutes, and all grades and levels of learning in North America. Darius is also the recipient of the 2016 NEMA ( New England Museum Association) Award for Excellence and the 2021 Bay State Legacy ward. He is a proud father of 4 girls and has been married to his loving wife Toodie for close to 20 years. Presented in partnership with Cary Memorial Library.