As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, we are called upon to consider a profound and often overlooked truth: this nation was built on the backs of many and perhaps the greatest cost was borne by Native peoples. Sadly, today’s indigenous communities represent just 1% of the population, but their names, images and traditions are woven into the fabric of American culture — from place names and sports mascots to art and spiritual wisdom. How is it that the Native presence is so ubiquitous yet “unseen”, and its collective voice so marginalized?

Cambridge Forum will unravel the contradictions at the heart of American identity. We will examine how Indigenous knowledge and ways of life have been borrowed and celebrated by mainstream culture, even as Native peoples have faced dispossession, exclusion and erasure. We will also highlight how, despite all efforts to eradicate them over the centuries, Indigenous communities have continued to survive and exercise their sovereignty and sacred cultural ways.

Our distinguished panelists bring their unique knowledge and first-hand experiences to this conversation:

Rhonda Anderson, Western Massachusetts Commissioner on Indian Affairs, an advocate for Indigenous visibility and representation in regional and state policy.

Lawrence Baca, retired lawyer from the U.S. Justice Department, whose career has focused on advancing Native rights within the legal system.

Brad Lopes, Education Manager for the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribal Education Department, who works to preserve and share Wampanoag history and culture.

We hope to provide an opportunity to confront our past and envision a more honest and comprehensive rendering of the cost of securing our American identity.

Our guest moderator is former GBH journalist, Phillip Martin.
Join the conversation.

Speakers

Rhonda Anderson

Rhonda Anderson, Iñupiaq–Athabascan from Kaktovik, Alaska, is the Western Massachusetts Commissioner on Indian Affairs, a Massachusetts Seal, Flag, and Motto Advisory Commission member, a Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Governing Board member, an Executive Board member of the Woodland Partnership of Northwestern Massachusetts, and served on the New England Foundation for the Arts Advisory Council.

Lawrence Baca

Lawrence Baca, Pawnee Indian and trailblazing civil rights attorney, spent nearly three decades in the U.S. Department of Justice championing Native rights—filing more cases for American Indians than any attorney in Civil Rights Division history. Honored with the Attorney General’s Medallion and numerous national awards, he later led the Federal Bar Association and the National Native American Bar Association. Today, he continues to lecture nationwide, leaving an enduring legacy as a defender of justice and Indigenous rights.

Brad Lopes

Brad Lopes, Aquinnah Wampanoag educator, leads efforts to decolonize education and preserve Indigenous culture. As Education Manager for the Tribal Education Department and Outreach Coordinator for the Aquinnah Cultural Center, he works within his Nation’s homelands to uplift Wampanoag history and voices. A lifelong teacher and advocate, Brad also serves on boards dedicated to cultural preservation and environmental stewardship.

Phillip Martin, Moderator

Phillip Martin is a multi-award winning journalist and until recently, he was a senior investigative reporter for GBH News. Throughout his career, he has been awarded numerous fellowships, grants and tokens of recognition for his in-depth and thought- provoking reports — particularly about inequities and social justice at a local, national and global level. These awards include the  2023 Online Journalism Awards for social justice reporting on labor trafficking in Massachusetts, the  2022 National Edward R. Murrow Award for the multi-part GBH News series ” Unseen ,” and National Edward R.
Murrow awards for investigative reporting in  2019  and  2014.
In February 2024, Martin was inducted into the  Massachusetts Broadcast Hall of Fame.