Where We Belong Playwright's Note

In Mohegan culture, we have a symbol, the Trail of Life, that depicts the ups and downs of life, and the people you meet along the way. What you are about to encounter is a journey along the trail, no more no less. I hope that you embrace this story as a journey. That is what it is for me, as I learn different things about myself, my ancestors, and the world around me, each time a new performer traverses it.

I don’t want listeners to worry about the history they may not know, or try to absorb all of the information, but rather to just let whatever resonates resonate, and hopefully to laugh a little. It’s not intended for you to remember everything. It would be too much, given how little most people are taught about Native nations.

My hope is rather that you will dig into the questions that come up, and how they may relate to your own life. This was never meant to be a play. I wrote it in 2018, to try to figure out some things about the lines drawn between people, and to piece myself back together. I thought things would get better since then. I had no idea how much more these divides between people would continue to grow. This play is like the river. The sky. The earth. It holds the stories that came before but also those of this moment, which is ever changing.

If after listening, you want to know more about some of the ancestors who come up along the journey, I will name some of them here - Uncas. Mahomet Weyonomon. Samson Occom. Fidelia Fielding. Gladys Tantaquidgeon.

And please remember: this is only one Mohegan story. Only my story. Achokayis’ story. And even beyond that - only a part of my story. A small and finite thing in the spectrum of our world.

Here, in Concord, MA, we are on Nipmuc land. A nation with their own struggles, history, language, and creativity that I hope you leave wanting to learn more about.

Kutápatôtamawush to the incredible team of artists, producers, crew, and staff that have made sharing this story with you possible. Something I could never have imagined as a kid. And to Gigi for taking on embodying the journey. I hope coming together and sitting in someone else’s mind for a little bit might help you see the world a bit differently. And for every Indigenous person in the audience, know that your story is powerful and has as much right or more to be told on this stage.

- Madeline Sayet/Achokayis