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Presenter describes effort to honor Indigenous author William Apis with library plaque and community day
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Summary
A presenter described a local effort to recognize William Apis — described in the transcript as an Indigenous author born in the 1700s who wrote over 200 books — by installing a roughly 4-foot plaque at the library entrance and establishing a William Apis Day after outreach to the Mashpee Reservation.
A presenter at the meeting described efforts to commemorate William Apis, whom the speaker identified as an Indigenous author born in the 1700s and said authored "over 200 books," noting he is not recognized in the town.
The speaker said Chelsea began conversations with Drew Lopanzina about honoring Apis and proposed placing a roughly 4-foot plaque in front of the library entrance "to honor and reflect upon the indigenous peoples here and contributions that are often invisibilized." The presenter said Chelsea worked to establish a William Apis Day in Coleraine.
According to the presenter, Chelsea traveled to the Mashpee Reservation, spoke with several community leaders there and attended a two-act play that focused on William Apis. Those outreach efforts, the presenter said, helped foster relationships that made this year’s William Apis Day "so much more genuine." The transcript does not record a formal vote, official endorsement by a governing body, or any funding details regarding the plaque or event.
No legal authorities, statutes, or ordinances were cited in the transcript. The presenter provided these claims and described the activities; the meeting record does not include independent verification of the historical details provided about William Apis.