City Council Acknowledges Massachusett Tribe as ‘Original Inhabitants’ of Cambridge

The Cambridge City Council acknowledged the “Massachusett Tribal Nation as the original inhabitants of Cambridge” and pledged to establish a memorial for the tribe and hang a plaque in City Hall during a meeting Monday evening.

The Council also committed to “prominently incorporate recognition of the Massachusett Tribe during key official events, documents, websites, and communications,” according to the policy order.

With the vote, Cambridge joins Boston, which formally acknowledged the Massachusett Tribe as indigenous to the land in 2021.

The memorial and language commemorating the tribe will specifically recognize Sqa Sachem — a chieftain of the Massachussett people from 1619 to 1667 — who, according to the policy order, demonstrated “resilience, strength, and steadfast leadership throughout her life.”

Although the Council was unanimous in agreement on the importance of honoring the Massachusett Tribe during their regularly scheduled Monday meeting, Councilor Catherine ‘Cathie’ Zusy questioned the decision to feature Sqa Sachem despite a lack of historical record about her life — including any specific ties to Cambridge.

“Why would we have a memorial to someone that we don’t know about,” said Zusy, a former museum curator, “when we don’t have a specific location that she’s associated with here.”

“I am a historian, and in museum exhibits, you never say something that you don’t have concrete evidence, unless you can really support it,” Zusy added. “You don’t say something you don’t know.”

Instead, Zusy suggested an amended version of the policy order, striking the language about Sqa Sachem in the land acknowledgement.

But Mayor E. Denise Simmons sharply disagreed with Zusy’s concern that Sqa Sachem may not be closely tied to the area.

“We’re not affiliated to this area,” she said, because Cambridge sits on “land that was stolen from folks, and we don’t have the crisp history that we might want to have, particularly around Sqa Sachem, because she was deliberately marginalized.”

Zusy’s amended order failed by vote of 8-1, with all other Councilors voting no. Zusy ultimately voted present on the original policy order, which passed with eight votes in favor.

Simmons said the lack of historical information about Sqa Sachem was itself a reason to highlight her.

“It is true that we do not have a wealth of information about her and that’s sort of the point,” Simmons said. “So let’s do our due diligence. Let's undo the harm that we’ve caused to her community by putting that story back together.”

—Staff writer Benjamin Isaac can be reached at benjamin.isaac@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @benjaminisaac_1.

—Staff writer Avani B. Rai can be reached at avani.rai@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @avaniiiirai.