President of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians Shannon Holsey presented the morning keynote for Claiming Williams Day on Feb. 3. Holsey delivered a presentation on the history of the Stockbridge-Munsee community, a band of the people formerly known as the Muhheconeew, or Mohican Nation, and the tribe’s forced removal from the College campus and Berkshire County. After her address, which took place on Zoom, Holsey answered audience questions about her role as a community leader and how institutions such as the College can work to build relationships with Indigenous communities and reckon with their past injustices.
Jayden Jogwe ’24, who participated in an independent study during the fall semester titled “Mohican Nation in Williamstown: Past, Present, and Future,” moderated the event. “I just really want to emphasize just how monumental it is to have President Holsey here,” Jogwe said. “This very well might be the first visit, albeit virtually, by a tribal sovereign nation leader to the College after its founding.”
Holsey’s speech explored the 2022 Claiming Williams theme, “Breaking Cycles: Where Do We go From Here?” The day’s programming investigated how to move forward from harmful cycles at all levels — from destructive thought patterns to systemic injustice — that persist in the College community and beyond.
“It is my hope that today is one of many conversations…that we have as people, as the human race, because we are all interconnected in some form or fashion,” Holsey said. “I want to speak to you and engage you and invite you into the conversation… knowing that there really are no questions off the table.”
Holsey began her talk by sharing her personal history, followed by exploring the history of her tribe. After eight years as a member of the Tribal Council, the main governing body of the nation, Holsey…
