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Re-informed: Paula Peters

In the second of our Re-informed series, we talk to Paula Peters, founder of Native American creative agency SmokeSygnals and a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Nation.

This series allows artists and producers to give an insight to their work and how it explores the Mayflower story - without shying away from its challenging history.

Speaking from her home in Mashpee, Massachusetts, Paula explores the Mayflower story from a Native American point of view, and discusses the impact it had - and continues to have - on the Wampanoag Nation.

She talks emotively of the ship's arrival on American shores, how the Wampanoag helped their new visitors, and the devastating effects of what happened when relations broke down between the two groups.

Paula also offers an in-depth look at the creation of a new wampum belt by members of the Wampanoag tribe as part of a unique exhibition called Wampum: Stories from the Shells of Native America, which is currently touring venues across the UK linked to the Mayflower story.

Discover More

Wampum: Stories from the Shells of Native America

The Wampanoag and their crucial role in Mayflower 400

The Making of the Wampum Belt

The creation of a new Wampum Belt by the Native American Wampanoag Nation is one of the cornerstones of the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower's sailing, and it is told in a powerful new short film.

Native America and the Mayflower: 400 years of Wampanoag history

The Wampanoag Tribe, also known as the People of the First Light, has inhabited present-day Massachusetts and Eastern Rhode Island for more than 12,000 years. This their fascinating story