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Resident urges Narragansett to hold commiseration for 1675 Great Swamp Fight victims
Summary
A resident asked the council to consider a public commiseration and a commemorative walk to recognize Narragansett and Wampanoag people killed in the Dec. 19, 1675 Great Swamp Fight, calling it a historic tragedy that warrants community attention.
During the Jan. 21 open forum, Narragansett resident Richard Vandermersch proposed that the town host a commiseration and walking event to honor Narragansett and Wampanoag people who were killed in the Dec. 19, 1675 Great Swamp Fight.
Vandermersch said the event should be framed as a commiseration rather than a celebration and suggested beginning with a walk from Knatchit Farm to the Great Swamp site to acknowledge the historical loss. He said historical records are primarily settler accounts and that Narragansett perspectives are underrepresented in the written record.
“My name is Richard Vandermersch... I am proposing not a commemoration of this event. It's kinda hard to commemorate what happened at that day, let's call it a holocaust,” Vandermersch said, urging the council to consider a memorial event and noting the approaching 350th anniversary of the battle. He said such an event would attract attention to Narragansett’s Indigenous history.
The council did not take formal action on the suggestion during the meeting; it was presented during the public-comment portion of the agenda. Council members acknowledged the comment and thanked the speaker for raising the topic. No formal timeline, sponsor, or specific council follow-up was recorded in the meeting minutes for scheduling a commemorative event.
