Homeland
The Hassanamisco Reservation
The Hassanamisco Reservation in Grafton, Massachusetts is one of the oldest continuously held pieces of tribal land in the country, cared for across generations by Hassanamisco Nipmuc families.
The reservation is an approximately three-acre property owned by the Nipmuc Nation, located within the town of Grafton in Worcester County, Massachusetts, at 80 Brigham Hill Road. The reservation today is the product of at least 282 years of use by Nipmuc people. First used as a domestic site area, it later became a tribal center, in addition to continuing its function as a home lot associated with some of the principal figures in the Tribe's cultural survival.
The property has long been the principal location where members of the Nipmuc community have convened to carry out cultural practices important in maintaining their historical and contemporary culture — most significantly, the Annual Hassanamisco Indian Fair, held every July. A number of ceremonial areas and several structures are located within the reservation. Most significant among the structures is a building known as The Homestead, originally constructed in 1801, which has been home to the Cisco family, a family prominent in the political and cultural activities of the Tribe.
Since the earliest contact with non-Natives, the Hassanamisco Reservation parcel has been continuously occupied and managed by Nipmuc tribal members. The reservation has been the property of the Nipmuc Tribe since before written history, and is considered a traditional cultural property.
Ongoing
Culture Today
A look at what Nipmuc culture looks like in daily life right now — the businesses, skills, and gatherings that keep it going.
Craft & Skill
Natoncks Metsu
Nipmuc chef Jason Vickers runs Natoncks Metsu, cooking Indigenous foods for the community.
Healing Stitches Designs
Vice Chair Candia Flynn runs Healing Stitches Designs, a thriving ribbon skirt business, sewing traditional skirts for the community.
Community Life
Each year, the community gathers for Kepenmooonk Wunne Weekend, a harvest event held at Pequoig Farm. The farm also hosts other Nipmuc gatherings throughout the year — for example, No Loose Braids held a hide tanning workshop there.
Follow Pequoig Farm on Instagram: @pequoigfarm
The farm also makes food available to Nipmuc families throughout the year — squash, pasture-raised meat, heirloom beans, cornmeal, and eggs from the Tribal Egg Share and Community Store.
No Loose Braids
No Loose Braids is a Nipmuc-led nonprofit that hosts hands-on cultural workshops for the community, from hide tanning to traditional structure building, keeping ancestral skills alive and in practice.
Stewardship
Tribal Historic Preservation (THPO)
We work closely with our Tribal elders, consult with local museums, community partners, environmental justice groups, and local governmental entities to preserve our ancestors' knowledge and cultural resources.
This is a small department — we do our best to respond as quickly as we can. For information or to schedule a collaboration, email council@nipmucnation.org.