Pokanoket Mural of Metacomet, 28′ x 24′, 2023
9 Warren Avenue, East Providence, RI
by Bonnie Lee Turner and Charles C. Clear III
This mural features the Pokanokets last Massasoit, Metacomet, also known as King Phillip, standing with his arms raised in worship. He is standing shirtless and bejeweled with royal purple colored wampum in a headdress, a ring, a necklace with a silver star, and a large belt. Metacomet is standing on the rocky shore of Mount Hope Bay in Bristol, Rhode Island, and behind him is a historic rock formation known as The Three Sisters. Overhead is a blue sky with white clouds and a canopy of large oak leaves. Across the Bay is the coastline of Fall River, Massachusetts. At the top of the mural is the word “POKANOKET” painted approximately 18’ feet wide in bold white letters.
This mural is painted inside a circle shape, the diameter of which measures approximately 28’ feet across. The top and bottom of the circle is cropped to a height of 22’ feet, giving the mural approximately 540 square feet of paintable space. The circle shaped mural is painted in the center of the red brick building, between the second and fifth window.
This Pokanoket Mural is eye-catching and dramatic even without knowing much about the subject matter. But the more you know about the mural, the more powerful it becomes. We carefully designed this mural to be historically accurate and rich in symbolism:
• We depicted Metacomet in an area that is sacred to the Pokanokets. They call it Potumtuk, and it includes Mount Hope and Mount Hope Bay. This was King Phillip’s literal seat of power from where he ruled a Kingdom that stretched from what is now East Providence, Rhode Island to Plymouth, Massachusetts.
• The Three Sisters rock formation was there long before Metacomet became King, so he likely stood in that very spot depicted in the mural. Tracey “Dancing Star” Brown, descendent of Metacomet, relayed to us the legend of The Three Sisters; that the Creator sent three messengers to the Pokanokets with the gifts of corn, beans and squash. As the messengers waved to the Tribe from the shoreline, they turned to stone. The story is a reminder that the Creator will provide everything that we need.
• The canopy of oak leaves at the top of the mural can be found in that very spot on the shore of Mount Hope Bay. The oak leaves symbolize strength, resilience, and longevity.
• Metacomet is wearing two feathers of a red tail hawk, which symbolizes guardianship and far-sightedness.
• The circle shape symbolizes both the circle of life and the fact that the Pokanokets have come full circle. Metacomet’s fingers are depicted breaking through the border of the circle to symbolize that he is not only in his time, but our time, and in the future too.
• We were told by the Tribe that after King Phillips War, it was forbidden for anyone to say the word “Pokanoket’. If you were over 14 and said you were Pokanoket you would be killed on the spot. That’s why the name is not well known. So we decided to paint Pokanoket 18 feet across the top of the mural – to shout the name that could never be uttered.
• The model that we had pose for us as Metacomet is the current Sagamore of the Pokanoket Tribe, William “Winds of Thunder” Guy. Bill is smart, friendly, and funny, but he also exudes gravitas, power, and wisdom. Bill is also the 10th great grandson of Metacomet!
This public art project began as a Mural Call by the East Providence Arts Council. It was funded by The City of East Providence with a matching grant from the Rhode Island Foundation. We were very happy to be selected as the Mural Artists for this project.
The first step in this journey was a meeting at the Weaver Library in East Providence on July 15th. We met with David O’Connell, Chairman of the East Providence Arts Council, and about a dozen members of the Pokanoket Tribal Council, including Sagamore William “Winds of Thunder” Guy, Tracey “Dancing Star” Brown, Harry “The Hawk” Edmonds, and his brother Leon “Braveheart” Edmonds. The Tribe told us all about their history and culture, and how they hoped that the mural would raise awareness to their enduring legacy and continued presence in the community.
With this information we began work on the design for the Pokanoket Mural. We worked closely with the East Providence Arts Council and members of the Pokanoket Tribe. Several designs were created for the mural before this design was chosen and approved by all. It was the right choice!
Work on the mural began on Wednesday, September 13th, 2023 and we finished the mural on Tuesday October 24th. The project took longer than anticipated because we had about 10 rain days when we couldn’t work; there was also a nest of angry yellowjackets in the wall, and we had to work shorter days in October due to the increasingly cold temperatures. But we finally got it done and everyone is happy!
On Saturday October 28th, an Unveiling or Dedication Ceremony was held at the Mural with dozens of people in attendance. East Providence Mayor Roberto DaSilva presented us with a Certificate of Recognition for our work on the mural. It was a great celebration and there was drumming, dancing, and singing. Lots of people took their picture in front of the mural, including this group of Pokanokets. Sagamore Bill Guy is in the center, dressed in purple:
Thanks to everyone who made this mural a success!
Bonnie Lee Turner
bt@bonnieleeturner.com