Framingham marks sixth Indigenous Peoples Day event

The City of Framingham announced Oct. 14 that it held its sixth annual Indigenous Peoples Day celebration, themed "Rich Traditions, Honored Voices," on Monday, Oct. 12, at Edwards Church.

The gathering included a land acknowledgment, remarks from city leadership, Indigenous storytelling and cultural education, and reflections on historical injustices and resilience. Jesse Edwards, the city's chief diversity officer, served as master of ceremonies and said Indigenous history "is woven into the very fabric of this community."

Mayor Charlie Sisitsky welcomed attendees and noted that Nipmuc people lived in the area long before Framingham became a town in 1700 and a city in 2018. Bridget Griffin of the Framingham Public Library opened the program with a land acknowledgment recognizing the area as the ancestral homeland of the Nipmuc Nation.

The program featured Maria Turner, chairwoman of the Natick Nipmuc Tribe and chief of the Nipmuc Nation Confederacy, who spoke on the history of Indigenous communities before and after colonization, and Shawnee Turner, a medicine woman for the Natick Nipmuc Tribe, who shared a traditional story called "Erica's Shoe." Michaela Garcia, a Framingham State University sophomore, also spoke, saying "Indigenous Peoples Day is a reminder that Native people are still here."

The Rev. Dr. Debbie Clark of Edwards Church led a call to action encouraging attendees to listen and act together, while the Rev. Dr. J. Anthony Lloyd of Greater Framingham Community Church offered closing reflections on the importance of learning history's full story.

The city thanked members of the Indigenous Peoples Day Planning Committee, including representatives from Framingham State University, the Framingham History Center, MassBay Community College, Jewish Family Service of MetroWest and Framingham Public Schools, for organizing the event.

Source: City of Framingham announcement, October 18, 2026.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the original announcement.