2022 Award of Merit
The Connecticut League of History Organizations recognizes excellence in Connecticut history through its annual Awards of Merit, and this year the Friends of Wood Memorial Library and Museum were recipients for Nowashe Village. Staff and board members accepted the award at a ceremony and reception held April 19, 2022, at the Connecticut Historical Society. The award recognizes institutions and individuals who demonstrate the highest professional standards and who enhance and further the understanding of history in Connecticut. Nowashe Village is South Windsor’s newest museum. Owned and operated by the Friends, it is a permanent outdoor museum of indigenous life. Nowashe Village is set on almost a wooded acre of land directly behind the library, and features a classroom-sized Sachem’s House, two wigwams, a Three Sisters Garden, a wetland overlook, a community gathering space and more, all connected by woodland trails featuring ethno-botanical plantings.
The purpose of the awards is to recognize the care, thought, and effort invested in these contributions and to inspire and encourage others by acknowledging exceptional contributions to state and local history. Nowashe Village was recognized as “an exemplary model of best practice in the thoughtful interpretation of Indigenous history.” More than a quarter of the project’s construction spending was paid directly to Native Americans or tribal reservations, and we continue to include local Indigenous Peoples to share their cultural heritage and modern challenges. In our inaugural year in 2021, we welcomed more than 1,000 people from the region, and school field trips have expanded to include the Tolland Public Schools, CREC and many regional community groups.
But that’s not all,
Once this year’s award winners were selected, each organization’s state legislators were notified by CLHO staff. We were the only organization to also receive an official citation from the Connecticut General Assembly, introduced by Senator Saud Anwar and representatives Tom Delnicki and Jeff Currey, in recognition of our Award of Merit. It speaks volumes that Nowashe Village is so supported by our local and state officials.