The Ghosts of Ponkapoag

We explore how the discovery of a set of bones in Canton, Massachusetts in 1969 led to the rediscovery of the 17th century Praying Indians in Massachusetts. In the midst of violent colonization and devastating epidemics, one man’s effort to Christianize the area's Native populations by putting them into "praying towns" ultimately contributed to their end. We recount the perfect storm of political, cultural, and religious clashes that brought the world of Simon George, one of the last members of the Ponkapoag praying town, to its end and left his bones to be discovered centuries later.

Created by:

• Nate Reynolds
• Abby McDonough
• Kathrine Esten
• Deepika Singh
• Mike Orlando
• Greg Fournier

Transcript