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Hover over the map to see the boundaries of modern Framingham.
The Land of
Freshwater People
The land that we now call Framingham and the region surrounding it is the territory of the Nipmuc. “Nipmuc” translates to “Fresh Water People.” Nipmuc territory is characterized by its fresh waterways – a series of interconnecting rivers, lakes and ponds – important sources of both sustenance and transport. The identifier “Nipmuc” embeds the Indigenous people of this region in the natural landscape; as “freshwater people,” the Nipmuc are inalienable from the lands that birthed and sustained them.
Pre-contact, the Nipmuc were not a single people, but rather a series of families, villages, and individuals who settled throughout the region, forming complex kinship and trade networks with each other stretching from modern day central Massachusetts down into northern Connecticut.
Cultivate
cul·ti·vate
verb
1: to prepare or prepare and use for the raising of crops
2: to foster growth
verb
1: to prepare or prepare and use for the raising of crops
2: to foster growth
Native New Englanders actively shaped their environment to provide sustenance and suit their needs. Villages were connected by footpaths, such as the old Connecticut Path, which were worn into the ground. Waters were fished using sophisticated fishing weirs, traveled by dugout canoe, and used to irrigate planting grounds. Even the woods were cultivated – the use of controlled burning created a navigable hunting environment while encouraging the growth of nut trees and other edible plants.
Mortar
This grinding stone can be found on the front lawn of the Old Academy building at the Framingham History Center. Stones like this are a prime example of the ways pre-contact Nipmuc manipulated and shaped their environment. The man-made, bowl-shaped divot in this stone was used as a mortar, to grind down crops, such as cultivated corn, into meal.
This map of the region directly surrounding modern Framingham demonstrates the many active uses that the Nipmuc made of the land, including settlements, planting grounds, waterways, and walking trails.
Hover over the map to see the boundaries of modern Framingham.
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