Resident group seeks clearer communication after town consults Nipmuc tribe about dugout canoe

Ed Blanchard, speaking during public comment, described months of work by local volunteers and historians to secure return of a dugout canoe from storage at the Worcester Historical Museum to Hubbardston. Blanchard said he and other local stakeholders had arranged museum meetings and a town meeting with tribal elders and that the museum would like the town to be the canoe’s owner if the tribe agrees.

Blanchard said he was not included in a later virtual meeting with the tribe and asked why the town had contacted the Nipmuc tribe directly rather than coordinating through the local volunteers who had led the project. He asked the Select Board to notify local stakeholders—Pam Mitchell, Bill Shea, the Hubbardston Historical Commission and others—when the tribe reaches a decision.

A town official described the Zoom meeting with tribal elders and said state law requires consultation for indigenous cultural property decisions. The official cited Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 6, Section 39A and Chapter 9 (documentary requirements) and said the tribe has the ultimate decision: the tribe could repossess the canoe, ceremonially return it to the pond, or agree to share or display it. The official said the museum welcomed the tribal consultation and that the town was waiting for the tribe’s vote.

Representatives at the meeting said the tribe had expressed appreciation that the issue was opened to elders, and that the elders were evaluating options. Select Board members and volunteer stakeholders said they were prepared to assist if the tribe decided the canoe should come to Hubbardston; they also noted the tribe might keep the canoe for display or ceremonial return to the pond.

No formal action was taken; the town is awaiting the tribe’s decision and said it will continue to follow Massachusetts legal requirements for consultation and documentation.