Atabey

Atabey depicts 3 Indigenous women: 2 Nipmuc & 1 Afro-Taína. An image from this series will be installed as a photo mural in Indian Orchard. The project was funded by Common Wealth Murals.


Atabey comes from the Taíno people, the indigenous people of the Caribbean. "Atabey" refers to a goddess associated with fertility, water, and the earth. She was often considered a maternal figure, and her role was seen as essential for creation and sustenance.

Motivations behind the work


“I wanted to honor the Taínos (Indigenous community from the Caribbean) but already felt off about taking up space in my previous mural work with there being very little representation in the public art world for the Indigenous nations in this region. I decided I wanted to create a mural that honored both (nations from the Caribbean & Western Mass area). Being from Puerto Rico, (a current colony of the US), I feel very strongly about cultural appropriation & displacement - and because of this it was important for me to find a Creative Co-Director from a local Indigenous community, (Jasmine is also Nipmuc), that would help lead/create the vision of the project in an authentic & respectful way, in addition to featuring Indigenous models that have made contributions to their communities.


During our creative process one of the models, Alvilda who is also a historian, uncovered that where I was called to do the photoshoot, has a tragic story behind it. Alvilda informed us that our photoshoot location had been an area where natives had been chased down by colonizers who were trying to murder them, and decided to jump down off the cliff into the water - the natives and their children died.


This mural is a way of reclaiming space, making people aware of this area’s history, but also a way of showing that there are still Indigenous communities out here and they’re thriving.”

Alvilda Sophia Anaya-Alegría

is a  Afro-Taína Fine Art and Urban Artist, Economist and a published nonfiction Historical Writer born in Guayama, Puerto Rico. Professor Anaya-Alegría has a Master’s of Science in Economics from Southern University of New Hampshire. Professor Anaya-Alegria has taught Economics and Finances, Statistics at Springfield College; Theater and Studio Art in Painting and Architecture at Cambridge College; English at UMass Amherst and Woman and Economic Development at Tufts University. Anaya-Alegría has received numerous Fine Arts awards and grants. The most recent is a 2022–24 a Mellon Foundation Arts juried exhibit award; 2016, The Fine Arts Work Center.



Brittney Walley

Brittney Peauwe Wunnepog Walley is a member of the Nipmuc Tribe. During her childhood, her father, Bradley Big Tree Walley, served their tribe as a pauwau (medicine person) along with one of her uncles, Henry (Hank) Sly Fox Walley. This connection created a path for Brittney to find meaningful ways to serve her community. Weaving enables her to honor her ancestors while uplifting present and future generations. Brittney hopes to continue teaching about, and sharing the beauty of, Northeastern Woodland art. Her pieces are created with methods as old as time immemorial. 


Brittney’s work is currently on display in the Boundless exhibit in the Mead Museum at Amherst College (Amherst, MA) a nearly museum-wide exhibition that features work by Native American writers and artists. Her pieces have previously been featured in places such as the Roger Williams Museum (Providence, RI), the Concord Museum (Concord, MA), and the Dover Street Market Place (Los Angeles, CA). She has a pending exhibition at the Mystic Seaport Museum (Mystic, CT) and a new work in progress for the Concord Museum. She is grateful for her weaving teacher, crafting mentors, her community that supports her, those willing to learn alongside her, and of course all that wear, enjoy, and support her work.


Brittney holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology with minors in philosophy and business management from Rhode Island College.


She is currently a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts, Boston in the Critical Ethnic Community Studies program, with a special interest in the Historical Archaeology program. She is an Indigenous Archaeology Curatorial Intern at the Concord Museum with a focus on the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, the Chaubunagungamaug and Hassanamisco Nipmuc Anti-Mascot Representative, a representative of the Hassanamisco Nipmuc in the work of the Special Commission on the Official Seal and Motto of Massachusetts, a collaborator on the The Boston Harbor Islands Archaeological Climate Action Plan, and member of Hearts & Hands, also known as the Native Cultural Arts, Wellness, Health, & Prevention Grant through the Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Addiction Services and the Institute for New England Native American Studies at UMass Boston.

Jasmine Rochelle Goodspeed

[She/They](Nipmuc) |  Co-creative Director & Featured Model

is a Massachusetts based actor, singer/songwriter, playwright and director. Prior to the pandemic she produced free Shakespeare in the park at Look Park for 5 years under the name “Billy Shakes Free Shakespeare”. She graduated from Umass Amherst with degrees in Theatre, English, and a certificate from the 5 colleges in Native Studies. Most notably, Jasmine has written, produced, and acted in a musical about her tribe, the Nipmuc people of Massachusetts. This musical was titled 1675, and told the story of King Philips War and the tragedy of Deer Island. Recently, Jasmine has performed in collaboration with the Wampanoag Nation and Theatre Royal Plymouth in the UK. In the past, she has done work with Double Edge Theatre, Arts Emerson, Safe Harbors, Silverthorne, WAM, and Plays in Place writing a piece for Historic Northampton.

Collective’s to support: Ohketeau