The Witness Stones Project, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to restore the history and honor the humanity of the enslaved individuals who helped build our communities, today announced a new affiliation with Woodstock Middle School. The school in Woodstock, Connecticut, will be using the Project’s curriculum and landscape markers to expand their teaching of the history of slavery in colonial Connecticut. The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor is supporting the Project’s work in Woodstock.
Students will examine primary source documents, such property, church, and vital records; wills and probate inventories; and census data, in order to understand the reality of slavery and to restore the memory of those individuals who were enslaved. They will learn how to document and describe the dehumanization and paternalism of slavery; the economic and legal framework that supported slavery; and, the agency, resistance, and contributions of the enslaved to our local and national history. Finally, these students will be inviting their communities to witness as they install memorial stones for individuals who were enslaved in their town.
The mission of the Woodstock Public Schools is to educate individuals for today and tomorrow. They provide a curriculum that develops essential skills, encourages uniqueness and creativity, offers the opportunity to cultivate diverse talents and to develop the full potential of every student. They promote a cooperative spirit and love of learning in an atmosphere based on respect and trust.
The Last Green Valley (TLGV) is a 35-town National Heritage Corridor in eastern Connecticut and south-central Massachusetts. As caretakers, TLGV connects people with the abundant and diverse natural, historical and cultural resources within eastern Connecticut and south-central Massachusetts. They advocate to sustain the region’s legacy for future generations.
