Interview with Lorén Spears

Lorén Spears is Executive Director of the award winning Tomaquag Museum, currently in Exeter, RI. Established in 1958, the museum is dedicated to telling the story of the Indigenous peoples of southern New England, highlighting the federally recognized Narragansett Tribal Nation. It has a unique collection of thousands of cultural items, along with hundreds of thousands of pieces of archival materials. In 2024, they will break ground for a new museum campus on University of Rhode Island land in Kingston, RI.

A citizen of the Narragansett Tribal Nation, Lorén came to the Museum as an educator and an artist. She has a master’s in education from the University of Rhode Island, is a contributor to many written publications, and serves on several boards including: RI 250 Commission, education chair; South County Tourism Council; and the Papitto Opportunity Connection.

1. Many people are not familiar with the Tomaquag Museum. What makes this museum special?​

Tomaquag Museum is the only Native American lead museum in Rhode Island. The staff works to decolonize structures of museums, not only at Tomaquag but also by providing professional development for other museums and professional organizations. We are the only museum in Rhode Island to receive the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Medal presented to us in 2016 by First Lady Michelle Obama.

2. As an Indigenous educator and museum leader, what does an Indigenous perspective of historic preservation mean to you?

Having an Indigenous perspective of historic preservation means having a holistic view of history, culture, and an understanding of who you are preserving this knowledge for. It means understanding that it is more than preserving historic cultural materials. It is the knowledge that they are “belongings” connected to the person who created it, used it, passed it on to the next generation, and the importance of these “belongings” within our culture today.

3. What places do you think are important to preserve as evidence of RI's cultural heritage?

This is a difficult question to answer from an Indigenous perspective as all of the land now called Rhode Island is significant to the Narragansett Nation as well as neighboring Tribal Nations, however if I must select something, I believe it’s important to preserve the Salt Pond Site, the Great Swamp Memorial and the land surrounding it, the Royal Burial Ground, Coronation Rock, Queen’s Fort, King Philip’s Chair, and other significant sites. There are many historical, culturally significant sites within the landscape including drum rocks, rock shelters, council rocks, and other ceremonial landscapes that are often misunderstood for their true importance.

4. The Tomaquag Museum has a campaign for a new museum and research center. What do you want community members to know about that?

We are excited to grow and continue to serve the community through our vast programming and this museum will enable us to do that more effectively and accessibly. It will include a museum gallery, contemporary art exhibition space, a museum store, café, artist in residency studio, and educational classrooms. It will also include the archives, collections, library, and research space. We hope to break ground in 2024 and you can learn more at https://www.campaignfortomaquag.org/.

5. How can historic preservation advocates help the Tomaquag Museum be successful in achieving its mission?

They can help support the preservation and conservation of the more than 10,000 belongings in our collection. They can connect us to experts in the field to address specific conservation initiatives, for example caring for the more than 5,000-year-old wampum or the only known Narragansett birchbark canoe built in the 1840’s. They can share their expertise with our team and have collegial exchanges. They can support the new museum campaign.