Linda Coombs

Linda Coombs is program director of the Aquinnah Cultural Center. She is an author and historian from the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah).

Coombs began a museum career in 1974, interning at the Boston Children's Museum as part of its Native American Program.^[1] She and her peers, including Narragansett elder Paulla Dove Jennings, wrote children's books for the museum, illustrating Native American culture from a Native American perspective. Coombs later worked for nearly three decades with the Wampanoag Indigenous Program at Plimoth Plantation, including 15 years as the program's associate director.^[2] In that capacity, she wrote a number of essays documenting colonial history from a Native American perspective, and often spoke publicly about the need for more accurate representations of colonial events including the first Thanksgiving^{[3] [4] [5] [6][7]} and Columbus Day.^[8]

Coombs serves as program director of the Aquinnah Cultural Center, continuing to educate the public about Wampanoag history, culture, and other contributions.^[9] Valued for her expertise in regional Native American history, Coombs is a frequent consultant on scholarly and educational projects.^[10][11][12]

Born and raised in Martha's Vineyard, Coombs lives with her family in the Wampanoag Community in Mashpee on Cape Cod.^[13]

Publications

• “A Wampanoag Perspective on Colonial House.”Plimoth Life, v.3 no. 1, 2004: 24-28.
• “Hobbamock’s Homesite.” Thanks, But No Thanks: Mirroring the Myth: Native Perspectives on Thanksgiving. Plymouth, MA: Wampanoag Indian Program. September 9, 2000: 2-3.
• "Holistic History." Plimoth Life 1(2) 2002:12-15.
• "Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community and War by Nathaniel Philbrick [review]." " Cultural Survival Quarterly, Spring 2007.
• “New Woodland Path Makes Inroads at Wampanoag Homesite.” Plimoth Life, v. 5 no. 1, 2006: 20.
• Powwow. Modern Curriculum Press, 1992.
• “Wampanoag Foodways in the 17th Century." Plimoth Life 2005: 13-19

References

1. ↑ Stevert, Patricia (1993). Opening the Museum: History and Strategies toward a More Inclusive Institution. Boston: Children's Museums. p. 48. 
2. ↑ Dresser, Thomas (2011). The Wampanoag Tribe of Martha's Vineyard: Colonization to Recognition. The History Press. pp. 165–75. ISBN 978-1609491864. 
3. ↑ Massey, Joanna (12 Aug 2004). "Bringing History's "Messy" Nature to Life for Educators: Program Uses Plimoth Plantation to Boost Awareness". Boston Globe. p. 7. 
4. ↑ Knox, Robert (22 Nov 2001). "Plimoth Plantation Book Challenges Thanksgiving Myth". Boston Globe. p. 10. 
5. ↑ Plimoth Plantation. "Who are the Wampanoag?". Wampanoag Homesite. Retrieved 15 April 2013. 
6. ↑ Fifis, Fran. "Native Americans still fighting ignorance at Plimoth". CNN. Retrieved 18 April 2013. 
7. ↑ Cooper, Karen Coody (2008). Spirited Encounters: American Indians Protest Museum Policies and Practices. Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-7591-1088-5. 
8. ↑ Butterfield, Fox (11 Oct 1992). "Columbus Runs into Storm in Boston". New York Times. p. A18. 
9. ↑ Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head. "Aquinnah Cultural Center". Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head. Retrieved 15 April 2013. 
10. ↑ Kavasch, E. Barrie (2004). The Mound Builders of Ancient North America. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse. 
11. ↑ McGuire, Margit (1997). The Wampanoags and the First Thanksgiving. Everyday Learning Corp. 
12. ↑ Kerber, Jordan (2006). Cross-Cultural Collaboration: Native Peoples and Archaeology in the Northeastern United States. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. 
13. ↑ Center for New England Culture. ""We're Still Here" Online Exhibit". Center for New England Culture. Center for New England Culture. Retrieved 15 April 2013. 

External links

• Art by Linda Coombs on exhibit at the University of New Hampshire
• Linda Coombs speaking about Thanksgiving in 2010 at Boston City Hall
• 2010 Documentary about King Philip's War, in which Linda Coombs appears