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From Salem Common to Conflict: The First Muster and the Pequot War Panel and Dinner

Wednesday, November 19, 5:30-7 pm | Ellison Campus Center Veterans Hall

In celebration of Indigenous Peoples Month 2025 at ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ, Inclusive Excellence invites you to and join us for an evening of reflection, history, and community. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with dinner, followed by the program beginning promptly at 6:00 p.m. Guests will enjoy a seasonal fall menu inspired by Indigenous foodways, and will have the opportunity to win and purchase books related to the evening’s topics!

This event supports ongoing efforts with the City of Salem, the Massachusett Tribe in Salem, the House of the Seven Gables by honoring Indigenous Peoples Month through public programming, fostering reciprocal and ongoing relationships with Northeast Woodlands tribes, confronting the legacy of violence and colonialism rooted in the First Muster, and reimagining how we engage with its commemoration today.

The evening will open with a land acknowledgement and remarks from Thomas Green, Tribal Member, Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag, who will also serve as moderator. Our panel will feature three distinguished speakers, Benjamin Shallop, Author of , Connor P. Smith, Educator, Rashad Young, Member and Director of Language for Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation.

About our Panelists

Connor Smith is a Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Spouse and decolonization educator specializing in the history of Southern New England Algonquian People. Currently serving as Program Coordinator at Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Connor works to empower reciprocal relationships between Tribal Nations and DCR, with a focus on land record management and preservation. Connor is also a contract Museum Educator for Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, where he has dedicated over half a decade to delivering world-class programming that responsibly represents Pequot people, their history, and culture. Beyond his professional experience, Connor is a traditional singer and has been providing music for Tribal Communities all across Turtle Island, and for more than 15 years has sang with groups like , Mystic River, and Storm Boyz.

Benjamin Shallop is from Salem and returned home in 2008 to foster a vibrant film industry in New England. He currently serves as the Senior Business Representative for New England SAG-AFTRA Local, where he oversees contracts for freelance performers. Prior work in this field includes Labor Organizer for American Federation of Teachers and United Food and Commercial Workers throughout the South, Southwest, and Midwest. After returning to Salem, Ben’s passion for local history was reignited, and inspired him to publish his book on early settlement history entitled, .

Rashad Young is an enrolled member of and the Director of Language for Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. Working towards personal and community fluency in our ancient language., Rashad teaches Research and Curriculum Development Skills for Pequot and closely related SNEA (Southern New England Algonquian Languages). Also a tribal cultural teacher and craftsman, Rashad's focus is on traditional life ways and material culture of his Tribal Nation.

Thomas Green is a member of Massachusetts Tribe at Ponkapoag and shares traditional knowledge through educational programming, museum consulting, and arts leadership advising for institutions across Massachusetts. An artist, Thomas is a Wampum worker who hightlights Indigenous history and culture in his pieces. An active member of the Massachusett Tribe in Salem working group, Thomas has been central to the fostering of positive relationships between City of Salem and his tribal people.

Coordinated by Inclusive Excellence's Center for Equity, Education and Belonging (CEEB), City of Salem, Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag, and The House of the Seven Gables.