10/12/2026
Today, on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor the history, resilience, culture, and continued presence of Indigenous peoples across this country.
Here in Worcester, Massachusetts, we acknowledge the Nipmuc people, the original stewards of the land we live, work, and gather on. Long before Worcester became the city we know today, the Nipmuc people called this land home, building communities, preserving traditions, and maintaining a deep relationship with the land.
But acknowledging Indigenous peoples means more than recognizing their history. It means recognizing that the Nipmuc people are still here. Their culture, voices, and contributions are an important part of our present and future.
As we recognize this day, may we also reflect on the generations of displacement, erasure, and injustice Indigenous communities have endured, and our responsibility to ensure their stories are told, their sovereignty is respected, and their communities are heard.
Indigenous history is not separate from Worcester’s history. It is where Worcester’s history begins.
A group of Nipmuc pose for a photo during a conference in 1924. Courtesy of the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, Brown University.
