Indigenous Peoples of Portsmouth During the Colonial Period
Many people may be unaware of the influences and contributions of indigenous peoples, such as the Narragansett and the Pokanoket, in the early history of Portsmouth. There is a general feeling and misconception that once Aquidneck Island was transferred to the English, indigenous peoples were no longer a part of Portsmouth history. This lecture shed a light on at least a few of the stories of indigenous people in Portsmouth, along with how some of the English colonists interacted with them.
Stephen Luce is on the Board of Directors for the Portsmouth Historical Society. He grew up in Portsmouth and graduated from Portsmouth High in 1988. He served on active duty in the Army for four years, plus seven years in the Army Reserve. Stephen graduated from the University of Missouri in 1997 with a B.A. Psychology and minor in History. He worked many years in government for the State of Missouri, the City of Newport and most recently the Town of Portsmouth. In 2018 Stephen enrolled at URI and in 2021 obtained his M.A. History with an Archaeology focus. He has worked on several archaeological digs and most recently completed a survey of all the historic cemeteries in Portsmouth along with discovering and recording several new burial grounds and markers
