Sowams Heritage Area
Empowering Communities Through Living History
For more than 12,000 years many communities have called this land home, leaving legacies
are woven into every corner of this living landscape.
Sowams is the setting for pivotal events
that shaped our nation’s history.
Here, the critical relationship between the Pokanoket federation and the Mayflower settlers fostered 50 years of peace, only to unravel during King Philip’s War. Roger Williams founded Rhode Island and planted the seeds of religious freedom. The business of slave trading ignited a trans-Atlantic economy, and moral outcry. The dynamic interplay of land and water on this landscape has defined the history and culture of the region for millennia.
Sowams Heritage Area brings these stories to life, honoring the interconnected narratives of land, water, people, and history that continue to shape our political, cultural, and social identities today.
OUR MISSION
We are dedicated to instilling a sense of stewardship and deep appreciation for the historical, cultural, and natural significance of the Sowams region. By preserving our heritage, fostering regional collaboration, community development and experiential learning, we create spaces for communities to engage with the past and tell their own stories about the living landscape that shaped this nation.
OUR VISION
We envision a vibrant network of diverse communities, united by a shared respect for the living history of Sowams. We aim to create a space where everyone feels a deep connection to this landscape—where the legacies of those who came before us are honored, and the land and water are cherished for future generations.
OUR CORE VALUES
Over the past 12,000 years, many different communities and cultures have lived in Sowams. As we strive to illuminate the pivotal events that occured on this landscape, building partnerships and collaborating make it possible to achieve something bigger than what we can do alone. Our work together is guided by four principles.
RESPECTING THE LAND
Honor the land, the water, all living creatures, and their histories.
INCLUSIVE
STORYTELLING
Sowams is a place where every voice can be heard and every story can be told.
GROWTH THROUGH LEARNING
Unfamiliar, complex. or difficult experiences are opportunities for growth and understanding.
HEALING VIA
RECONCILIATION
We acknowledge the trauma, pain, and despair felt in our collective history, but we also celebrate hope, achievement, and joy.
MEET OUR TEAM
John Aubin
Seekonk Town Planner with volunteers at Gammino Pond Preserve, in Seekonk MA
"My favorite thing about Sowams is the landscape and its people. The people of Sowams (past, present and future) are such a critical part of the history of this land and the country as a whole. I want to be able to help bring that story forward."
Dr. Charles Hartman
Retired Pastor, on Nockum Hill in Barrington, RI.
“Nockum Hill is the site of the very first “Baptist” meeting house in North America. As the 44th settled pastor of the third Baptist community established on the continent, I came to appreciate who I am as a Baptist Christian and the historic significance of the early Baptists in Sowams.”
John Hansen
Assistant Town Administrator/Community Development Director at Kings Rock in Swansea, MA
"I love how a public-private partnership yielded this new marker, which commemorates this historic site, and also yields economic benefits by bringing folks to the nearby Johnson’s Roadside Farm Market."
Chelsea Johnson
Assistant Director, Carpenter Museum, in front of the Museum in Rehoboth, MA
"I’ve always been interested in how history is impacted by space. Getting to explore and teach the landscape’s deep and complicated history at the Carpenter Museum, has brought me renewed appreciation for how important Sowams is to the history of America and to those of us who live here.”
John Larsen
Director, Somerset Historical Society in Somerset, MA
What I love most about Sowams is the blend of historic, cultural and natural landscapes that create such a unique sense of place and make Sowams such a special place.
Laura McNamara
Director of Events and Community Engagement Blackstone Valley Tourism Council
“The East Bay Bike Path is one of my favorites in Sowams. The fourteen-mile path connects the communities of East Providence, Barrington, Warren and Bristol, RI, along its picturesque route. While biking or walking, you can envision a quieter time when only foot trails traversed the woodlands here.”
James Moran
Chief Economic Planner, City of East Providence, at Pokanoket mural in East Providence, RI
"As a lover of history, I am fascinated that Sowams has been the homeland of the Pokanoket for 12,000 years and has contributed so much to America’s heritage. I’m eager to see the Sowams Project raise public awareness of what unfolded right here in our corner of this big world."
Bill Napolitano
Taunton River Watershed Alliance
"Sowams is a special place in this world and is about all of its creatures and their stories. The Taunton River Stewardship Council funded the wayfinding signs on the Wild & Scenic Taunton River to remind folks of the deep history and heritage landscapes that we all share."
Dr. Silas Otniel Rodrigues Pinto
Deputy Chief of People and Culture, City of Providence, at the Roger Williams Memorial
"Making and Place-Keeping are born out of a necessity to unearth and uplift the buried stories of the land we utilize. We need to create spaces for a people to tell their stories –past, present and future—which is critical to our shared commitment to truth and reconciliation.”
Dr. David Weed
Sowams Project Historian, in Burr's Hill Park, Warren, RI
"There is so much wonderful history to discover in Sowams! The Royal Pokanoket Burial Ground on Burr’s Hill is where I began my now six-year journey to learn the history that no one ever tells you about!"
Pokanoket Sagamore Winds of Thunder and Sachem Dancing Star
At the Osamequin Nature Trail in Barrington, RI
“Hearing everyone use the word Sowams again makes us so happy! As stewards of the land, open spaces where nature and wildlife thrive are important to us. All of Sowams is special, but Potumtuk is sacred, because it is where our ancestors met and where our people still meet today.”
Andrea Rounds
Sowams Project Advisor
"My favorite spot in Sowams is the cedar grove overlooking Church Cove on Mt. Hope Farm. People have been watching the osprey fish and seals loll on the rocks here for more than 12,000 years."
Rock Singewald
Member of the Warren Land Trust, on the Warren River, Warren, RI.
“I love the rivers and marshes in Sowams. Beautiful views in every direction. I never get tired of exploring, whether walking along the shore or rowing with a friend.”
Diane Williamson
Bristol’s Director of Community Development, on the Town Common, Bristol, RI.
“What I love most about Sowams is the blend of historic, cultural and natural landscapes that create such a unique sense of place and make Sowams such a special place.”
