SAUGUS — Breakheart Reservation is officially one of nine Department of Conservation and Recreation properties to take part in the First Peoples First Stewards Children’s Library.
The initiative is designed to promote youth-focused written works by Native American authors.
“Massachusetts’ history began long before the arrival of colonists, with Indigenous communities who cared for the land and continue to do so today. As stewards of this land, DCR has a responsibility to preserve and uplift the stories of our first and continuing stewards,” DCR Commissioner Nicole LaChapelle said. “By making this history accessible at DCR properties, we hope visitors gain a deeper understanding of what these lands represent –and the people who have been connected to them for generations.”
The first stewards of Breakheart, according to the reservation’s Stories in Stone series, are the Pawtucket, an Algonquian-speaking tribe that lives along the Saugus River.
They planted, hunted, fished, and made tools in Breakheart. Artifacts found in the reservation date back thousands of years.
Other locations include Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park in Uxbridge, Blackstone River Greenway Visitor Center in Worcester, Blue Hills Reservation in Milton, Borderland State Park in North Easton, Fall River Heritage State Park, Great Falls Discovery Center in Turners Falls, Mount Greylock State Reservation in Lanesborough, and Quabbin Reservoir in Belchertown.
According to the DCR the locations were chosen to provide experiences across various geographical areas of the state. Potential sites will continue to be evaluated over time.
The libraries will feature more than 20 titles including fiction and non-fiction “depicting accurate, first-hand accounts of Indigenous history, culture, and lived experience.
“The First Peoples First Stewards Children’s Library
