In time for America’s 250th anniversary since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, White Snake Projects (WSP) has announced INDIGENOUS STORIES: An AR Experience in Boston and Along the Freedom Trail, a self-guided augmented reality walking tour across landmark sites, shining a light on Boston’s Indigenous history.
Available June 29-December 31, 2026, this new, free app was developed in partnership with the North American Indian Center of Boston, produced and commissioned by White Snake Projects, and includes new, original music and lyrics by Wampanoag, Nipmuc, and other Native American artists living in Massachusetts.
Beginning at the Boston Harbor Islands Pavilion on Long Wharf and ending on Boston Common, the 1.2-mile-long tour traces Indigenous history through six stops in the heart of downtown Boston from the internment of Native people on Deer Island during King Philip’s War, to the hanging of Nipmuc leader Tantamous from the Great Elm in 1676.
Each stop features a written narrative and original three-minute musical performance inspired by and/or about the historical event that took place there, which have all been devised by Native creators. INDIGENOUS STORIES users will be returned to the past through virtual stories, music, artifacts, and multimedia displays.
According to Cerise Lim Jacobs, artistic director of White Snake Projects: “INDIGENOUS STORIES is White Snake Projects’ contribution to America’s 250th anniversary – and a deliberate intervention in that conversation. As the nation marks its founding, we recognize that one essential voice is missing: the Indigenous voice. We ask users to not only walk this path as tourists, but as witnesses, connecting us to our past and recognizing the central role Native Americans played in the foundation of Boston.”
The Six Stops
Stop 1 — Deer Island / Boston Harbor Islands Pavilion, Long Wharf
Performed at the Boston Harbor Islands Pavilion using the harbor as the visual backdrop for the Deer Island story, Stop 1 shares the brutal history of Deer Island in Boston Harbor. Approximately 500-1,100 Indigenous “Praying Indians” during King Philip’s War either died, were sold into slavery, or forced from their homes. Performance: Devised and performed by vocalist Thea Hopkins (Aquinnah Wampanoag)
top 2 — Faneuil Hall
Faneuil Hall, known as the “Cradle of Liberty” for some, has a complex history intertwined with both the fight for freedom and the realities of slavery, including the enslavement of Native Americans. Before 1700, most enslaved people in Boston were Native Americans. Peter Faneuil used proceeds from the slave trade to fund the construction of Faneuil Hall. Stop 2 explores the Native and African enslavements that preceded and built this city, and the archaeology beneath Faneuil Hall. Performance: music by Lilianne Coeverden; lyrics and performance by vocalist Jasmine Goodspeed (Nipmuc)
Stop 3 — Boston Massacre Site, Old State House
A story of official colonial violence, Crispus Attucks (19723-1770), an Afro-Indigenous man, was the first casualty of the American Revolution during the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770. Attucks became an enduring symbol of resistance to British tyranny and an early hero of American liberty. A monument to him was erected on the Boston Common in 1888. Performance: written, composed and performed by Jasmine Goodspeed (Nipmuc) (voice and flute)
Stop 4 — The Phips Bounty Proclamation, Old State House
Signed in the Old State House (on the same block as Stop 3), the 1755 Phips Bounty Proclamation was passed which placed a cash bounty on Penobscot scalps. This was part of a larger, systemic effort to drive Indigenous populations off their land during the early years of the Seven Years’ War. Performance: devised and performed by MWALIM (Mashpee Wampanoag)
Stop 5 – Odeon Theatre Site, Milk Street & Federal Street
On January 8, 1836, Pequot activist William Apess delivered his Eulogy on King Philip here in the heart of Boston— one of the most radical acts of Indigenous oratory in American history. Performance: devised and performed by poet/musician/actor MWALIM (Mashpee Wampanoag)
Stop 6 – Boston Common, The Great Elm
The Great Elm was a historic, massive tree (standing until 1876) used for Puritan-era hangings including Native Americans during King Philip’s War. At the height of the war in 1675, the Massachusetts General Court enacted the Indian Exclusion Act, banning Indigenous residents from living within Boston city limits. Performance: lyrics, music and performance by vocalist/guitarist Thea Hopkins (Aquinnah Wampanoag)
Samantha Rose Hale, director of grants and programs, Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, says: “INDIGENOUS STORIES reminds us that our shared story is still being examined, expanded, and made more complete when voices too often left out and erased are brought back to the center. The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture is committed to support artists and communities whose work brings history into public view, creates space for reflection, and advances a more truthful and just understanding of our collective past and present.”
Download the free Hoverlay app available for iOS and Android devices and also available at WhiteSnakeProjects.org. Search for INDIGENOUS STORIES.
Melanie Votaw is the Publisher and Executive Travel Writer of LuxuryWeb Magazine. She has visited more than 50 countries on 6 continents and written for such magazines as Executive Travel, Just Luxe, Business Insider, South China Morning Post, Travel Mindset, and more. She is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association, New York Travel Writers Association, and International Travel Writers Alliance. Melanie's photography has won awards, and she has also written 43 nonfiction books as either the author or ghostwriter.
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