Statue of controversial figure John Sassamon proposed

LAKEVILLE — Plans for a monument to John Sassamon, a noted and controversial Lakeville Native American figure, may finally become a reality. 

Principal Chief of the Chappiquiddic Pokanoket Nation Tom Frederick, Daniel Casieri and members of the Lakeville Historical Commission presented the idea at the Lakeville Select Board meeting Monday, March 10. 

Sassamon was a Native American who was an interpreter between Native tribes and colonists in the 1600s. He was killed in Lakeville in 1675 after warning the governor of the Plymouth Colony of an impending attack by the Wampanoag people. 

That action has been seen by some as traitorous to Native Americans.

His death sparked the King Philip’s War, a conflict between the English colonists and Native Americans that lasted from 1675 to 1676. The war was fought over land, resources and autonomy. 

The Historical Commission’s attempts to honor Sassamon date back to the 1990s, when the commission was shot down by an Indian affairs bureau that also described Sassamon as a traitor to Native tribes because of his actions. 

Casieri had previously introduced his idea for a statute to the board in 2019, but due to the Covid Pandemic, the project fell to the wayside. Casieri suggested the statue could stand about 10 to 15 feet tall and be placed “somewhere on public land.’’

Caseri has had contact with a sculptor, and has drafted documents for a non-profit organization so he can start accepting donations to begin the project. He is waiting to file based on the Select Board opinion.

Vice Chair Evagelia Fabian questioned the historical legitimacy of Caseri’s research in the case of public outrage. 

“In this day and age where every few months you hear another story about another statue getting pulled down somewhere across the country, how can we actually be sure of the information?” Fabian said. “Especially if the previous Bureau of Indian Affairs back in the 90s felt as though he was a traitor.”

Other members of the Select Board had positive reactions to the idea. Member Brian Day supported the project to push the history of the area back into light and to bring interest to local parks. 

“I think it's a great opportunity to explore,” he said. “I look at something like Tamarack Park as something that we've kind of neglected over the years. We haven't really put any money into it, and maybe there's a larger project that's possible.”

Member Brynna Donahue had experience with Sassamon and his history when she campaigned to get a local golf course turned into a park named after Sassamon. 

“I think this makes better sense as an art installation than a statue of recognition — he was a traitor in some ways,” Donahue said. “If he hadn't alerted the colonists, the Native Americans would have killed everybody. They would have won — but because he informed them and they were able to be stopped, we're here today.”

Donahue suggested placing the statue near Town Hall, or the old library because she feared it might be defaced out in public parks. The statue could be something to stop and look at on community members' walks, she said.

The statue would have the feathers on Sassamon’s headpiece pointed down to represent peace. Other details would include his pipe and translated Bible. 

Frederick stressed the importance of Sassamon’s story and what it represented for the community. He said that the project has a focus of unification for people standing up for what they believe in spite of the circumstances.

“I think that this story can be found in all of us — how many decisions have we made that weren't necessarily the best ones,” Frederick said.

If the Select Board ultimately approves the project, Casieri will email his sculptor to produce a model for a future meeting. Casieri, Frederick and the Historical Commission will return to give updates about the historical aspects and progress of the project.