Bourne to scan municipal property for tribal history

The town of Bourne is planning to deploy ground-penetrating radar on a historic municipal property to search for tribal graves and artifacts, and attempt to forge a deeper connection with its Indigenous past.

On Oct. 21, Town Meeting approved spending $50,000 in Community Preservation Act funds to scan Burying Hill, an almost 2-acre property owned by Bourne that originally belonged to the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe. The effort will examine the extent of ancient burial sites there, and provide information to help local leaders preserve, restore and protect the property going forward.

The proposal, which received a 159-13 special Town Meeting vote and unanimous support from the Select Board and Finance Committee, represents a significant breakthrough for the community’s efforts to comprehend its tribal ties, said Melissa Ferretti, who serves as vice chair on the Bourne Select Board and as chair of the Herring Pond tribe. At times, she said, the lack of visibility for Wampanoag history has been disappointing, but the town and the Historical Commission have been “absolutely amazing” in this effort.

“I feel that the town of Bourne is really embracing the Wampanoag story now,” Ferretti said. “And I think that many — the majority of the folks, of course — are eager to see what’s up on the hill, and who doesn’t love history? So I think, overall, I really feel positive about the reaction to it.”

The Bourne project comes at a crucial moment for the tribe of about 180 active citizens, which last month received state recognition from Gov. Maura Healey.

The Burying Hill property holds significant historical, cultural and ecological significance for both the tribe and the town. Missionaries Richard Bourne and Thomas Tupper established a meeting house there in 1637 for tribal citizens, and it is believed that Gov. William Bradford and Native American chiefs met there to discuss the new Massachusetts colony.

“What a wonderful opportunity this is for the community,” Select Board Member Anne-Marie Siroonian said at the Oct. 21 meeting. “Anytime we can connect, certainly, the heritage and the sacred ground of our Wampanoag Tribe here and also to connect history with respect to the town in its earlier times, is to me a very valuable asset and opportunity here that we can’t pass up.”

The area is also considered to be environmentally sensitive, given the presence of wetlands, a herring run, and habitat for numerous species.

The town has begun the procurement process, and a draft request for proposal was under final review as of last month, said Assistant Town Administrator Liz Hartsgrove. The town will get a better sense of project timing based on the estimates provided by consultants submitting proposals, she said.

The property is currently overgrown, with a boulder-mounted plaque noting the establishment of the meeting house. The project itself would involve a non-invasive, ground-penetrating radar scan of the property, to locate graves, and, if possible, the original foundation of the 1637 meeting house.

“Another important component of this project is the demonstrated support at Town Meeting, recognizing a shared responsibility to better understand key cultural exchanges, stories, and traditions at this site that shaped the area’s past to the present, and further determining next steps in preservation for the future,” Hartsgrove said.

Ferretti said she wants to see the rusty marker and the property cleaned up, and “all we want to do is find out if there are people buried there, and honor them if they are.”

In her first term on the Select Board, and her fourth term as tribal chair, she said she appreciates working on projects that bring the tribe and town together.

“It has been just an absolute joy for me to walk in these two worlds simultaneously,” she said.