Loyalty and Zeal: Algonkians of the Revolution

Patriot, Tory, or neither. For Algonkian people the choice was not the one the history books describe.

Drew Shuptar-Rayvis, a citizen of the Pocomoke Indian Nation, sets up a demonstration station on the lawn and talks through the contributions, struggles and sacrifices of Algonkian peoples during the War of American Independence. He covers material culture and trade, and then the harder part: the complicated political paths of patriotism, toryism and neutrality that Algonkian and Iroquoian people navigated in order to hold on to their ways of life.

He comes in traditional clothing with artifacts and reproduction pieces, and he actively wants the audience asking questions rather than standing quietly.

Shuptar-Rayvis holds a cum laude BA in Anthropology and Sociology from Western Connecticut State University and a certificate in Archaeology from Norwalk Community College. He is a practicing living historian who works on the research and preservation of Eastern Woodlands history.

It's free. No charge, though registration is recommended. It is a drop-in, so come any time in the two hours.

If it rains. This one is outdoors and moves inside in bad weather, so it runs either way.

Part of a series. It sits inside America 250: The Revolutionary Spirit Lecture Series, co-sponsored by the Friends of the Weston Public Library, the Weston History & Culture Center and the League of Women Voters of Weston, with support from the Weston America 250 Advisory Group.

Where to go. The center is at 104 Weston Road, but parking and the entrance are off High Acre Road, not Weston Road, and everyone checks in at the Visitor's Center. Worth knowing before you circle the block.