| R 331 |
| 2024 -- S 3116 Enacted 05/30/2024 |
| S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N |
| IN SUPPORT OF RECOGNIZING BLOCK ISLAND'S MANISSEAN TRIBAL NATIVES |
Introduced By: Senators DiMario, Felag, Bell, Pearson, Raptakis, Cano, F. Lombardi, LaMountain, Ujifusa, and Euer |
| Date Introduced: May 30, 2024 |
| WHEREAS, The State of Rhode Island has been home to Native Tribes for centuries; and |
| WHEREAS, The first founders to establish a community on Block Island were |
| Manissean tribal Natives, who inhabited the island called "Manisses" for centuries; and |
| WHEREAS, In 1661, Native tribe members that remained on the island numbered |
| between 1,200 and 1,500, but by 1774 that number had been reduced to 51; and |
| WHEREAS, In 1985, an archaeological excavation located a year-round Manissean |
| village site on the island with carbon dated objects establishing its time frame to be 500 B.C.; and |
| WHEREAS, Artifacts found in this area suggested that this highly skilled maritime |
| culture went deep-sea fishing by navigating their dugout canoes through a transient breach way |
| between Great Salt Pond and the ocean. Remains of many sturgeon, a deep-water fish, were |
| found during the excavation along the shore of the pond; and |
| WHEREAS, Additional archaeological sites on the island indicate that the indigenous |
| tribes lived primarily by hunting deer, catching fish and shellfish, growing corn, beans and squash |
| and making trades with Wampum; and |
| WHEREAS, In 1672, Block Island received its Town Charter from the Rhode Island |
| General Assembly, and was incorporated by the Colony of Rhode Island as "New Shoreham, |
| otherwise known as Block Island"; and |
| WHEREAS, The tiny tribal native community has persevered despite wars, invasion, |
| servitude and taxation; and |
| WHEREAS, Through the ensuing centuries, the Manissean Tribe Natives remained a |
| challenged and independent community while still fully participating in the local economy; and |
| WHEREAS, The Manissean natives remain unabashedly proud of their island and their |
| heritage. They strive to strike a balance among preservation of land, cultural awareness and tribal |
| development, and affordable living and economic opportunities in today's economy; and |
| WHEREAS, The Manissean Tribe celebrates the importance and rich heritage of all the |
| ancestors who have come before them to establish native village communities on Block Island; |
| now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby supports the |
| recognition of Block Island's Manissean Tribal Natives; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby honors the Manissean Native Ancestors and |
| Descendants. We furthermore commemorate and encourage the preservation of the local |
| indigenous culture and their historical sites; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Maryann Gobern Mathews, President of the |
| Manissean Tribe of Block Island, for the descendants of the island's original native families. |
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| LC005892 |
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