The Pokanoket Mural
In October of 2023, the Pokanoket Tribe, East Providence Arts Council, and members of the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Indigenous Affairs joined artists Bonnie Turner and Charles Clear III to unveil the mural titled "Pokanoket".
The 24' x 28' mural was painted on a red brick building at 9 Warren Avenue in East Providence with the permission of Sharon and Jay, owners of the The 133 Club, who offered their wall to host for the mural. The mural was funded through a grant from the Rhode Island Foundation, as well as a match by the City of East Providence.
The mural honors and celebrates the Pokanoket Tribe, the indigenous tribe whose kingdom stretched from East Providence to Plymouth Massachusetts for 10,000 years.
The mural depicts the Pokanoket’s last King, Metacomet, standing on the shore of Mount Hope Bay in Bristol: a site that is sacred to the Pokanokets. Behind him is a rock formation known as The Three Sisters, which stand for corn, beans, and squash, and across the bay is Fall River. Overhead is a canopy of oak leaves, which symbolize strength and resilience. The portrait is painted in a circle shape to symbolize the circle of life.
The model for Metacomet is Dr William Guy, the present day Sagamore of the Pokanoket Tribe and 10th great-grandson of Massasoit.
Before
After
