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Mission Statement
Our mission is to honor and reconnect the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican people with their ancestral homelands in the Berkshire Region of Western New England. Through the annual organization and celebration of the Homelands PowWow, we raise funds to support travel and lodging expenses for tribal members wishing to visit these sacred lands. Rooted in tradition, community, and cultural resilience, our work ensures that the bond between the Mohican people and their homelands remains strong for generations to come.
What We Do
The Homelands PowWow was founded by a dedicated group of enrolled Stockbridge-Munsee Tribal Members and Massachusetts-based allies, united by a shared commitment to creating a space where Tribal members can reconnect with their ancestral homelands through dance, music, and community.
The 2nd annual PowWow will be held October 3–4, 2026, at location: Shakespeare & Company, 70 Kemble St., Lenox, MA 01240
Our goal is to continue building an annual gathering that honors the history, culture, and traditions of the Stockbridge‑Munsee Band of Mohicans in their original Homelands. In 2025, a small group of Mohican community members and allies organized the first event of its kind in centuries—bringing people back to the Berkshires, the Hudson Valley, southern Vermont, and the borderlands of Connecticut, the ancestral lands once known as home. The historical significance of that return continues to guide us. As we move into our second year, we remain devoted to Tending the Fire—nurturing this gathering with care, intention, and continuity so it may grow stronger for future generations.
The Homelands PowWow is organized by a Massachusetts-registered nonprofit and 501(c)(3) charity. We are a private organization and do not speak for the Stockbridge-Munsee Tribal Council, nor do we claim to represent the Tribe officially. This event is a spiritual homecoming—one that generations of Tribal members were denied when gatherings like these were prohibited in their ancestral lands. The opportunity to return and dance in the Homelands is profoundly meaningful for many.
We invite all who wish to support and honor this historic return to join us in celebrating the resilience, culture, and enduring spirit of the Stockbridge-Munsee people.
Board of Directors
Shawn Stevens
Chairperson
Shawn Stevens, an enrolled member of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans, is a cultural & historical educator, spiritualist, and storyteller. He serves on the Homelands Board of Directors as Chairperson, and has served on both the Tribal Language and Culture Committee and the Historic Preservation Committee and is a respected Mohican language scholar. Shawn is Co-Director of Red Road Reclamation, an Indigenous Native-Led Church and is a White Bison Mending Broken Hearts Facilitator, addressing intergenerational trauma. A ceremonial bundle carrier, herbalist, and internationally exhibited artist, Shawn shares ancestral wisdom as a traditional peacekeeper, drummer, and musician. His path weaves together Mohican history, language, and spiritual practice, offering pathways for cultural reconnection and community healing.
Ginger Stevens
Treasurer & Mohican Travel Coordinator
Ginger Stevens, an enrolled member of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans and Stockbridge-Munsee elder, felt a powerful homecoming during her 2022 visit to Massachusetts. A leader in cultural preservation, she chaired the Mohican Veterans Traditional PowWow Committee for 12 years and helped found the Mohican Veterans Association. A traditional dancer and seamstress, Ginger also participates in drum circles and peace councils, and helped envision the homecoming PowWow after Indigenous Peoples Day 2023.
Mysti Hammer
Secretary
Mysti Hammer serves as the Administrative Secretary and a Board Member for the Homelands Powwow. A medical assistant and lifelong community advocate, she was raised on the Stockbridge‑Munsee Reservation, where she developed a deep connection to family, culture, and community values.
Mysti is a dedicated mother of four and carries forward the traditions of beading and sewing taught by her grandmother and mother, who have always handmade their family’s regalia. She attended the first Homelands Powwow in 2025, an experience that strengthened her commitment to supporting the return of Mohican people to their Eastern Homelands. Mysti is honored to continue this work as part of the Board, helping ensure a meaningful and welcoming experience for future generations.
Coming Soon
Veterans Relations Steward
Coming Soon
Kathryn (Church) Footit
Cultural Continuity Steward
Kathryn (Church) Footit is an enrolled member and resident of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community in central Wisconsin. She has definite eastern tribe ties as a descendant of Mohican Chief Konkapot; also of the Mohegan Chief Uncas. Her family celebrates their Mohican, Brotherton, and Oneida heritage. After growing up on the Door County peninsula, Kathryn resided 30+ years with her late husband and their beautiful daughter in Oshkosh, WI. Now that she lives with her Mom on their reservation in central Wisconsin, her spirit feels complete. Inside the Church family’s 1930’s stone home you will see the ladies’ love of sewing and crafting with their infinite collection of fabric and supplies. Best times are spent sharing their hand crafting knowledge through shows, pow wows, classes, and volunteer opportunities. Together, with family helping, they have a small Native American arts and crafts business for decades called “Stomping Turtle”. Weekdays, Kathryn works as a remote certified medical coder, and has proudly been with the for the same non-profit healthcare system since 2001. Kathryn’s first trip to the Homelands area was in 2025 with her uncle, Larry. We had the best time, and met the most wonderful people. Oneewe, Anushiik!
Shannon Chada
Communications & Media Director
Shannon Chada, is of family affiliation and raised within the Stockbridge‑Munsee Mohican community, descended from the Shawnee people of the Pekowi Division-Turtle Clan, she also carries Scottish/French ancestry of the McKee Clan, Welsh, and Acadian lineage. Shannon bridges relationships between Indigenous and non‑Indigenous communities, fostering peacemaking, cultural reclamation, and environmental stewardship. She is a Holistic Practitioner, Educator, Reiki Master Teacher (2000), Herbalist, Yoga & Meditation Instructor, and Aromatherapist. Shannon serves on the Homelands Board and holds a position as Communications Director, and is Co-Director of Red Road Reclamation an Indigenous Native-Led Church, and supports spiritual and cultural initiatives across Turtle Island. A sacred circle facilitator, peacemaker, women’s traditional dancer, and ceremony keeper, she also shares healing through music as a singer, chanter, musician, and songwriter. She is devoted to preserving Indigenous culture, empowering the Mohican people, and fostering unity through CommUnity Connection.
Susan Jameson
Public Relations & Vendor Director
Mark Church, an enrolled member of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans, is a 20-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran and accomplished musician, known for his work with the Native flute. Deeply engaged in the Mohican community, he actively supports cultural initiatives and veterans’ programs. Mark is also involved with the American Legion, where he contributes to honoring Indigenous excellence through the annual Eagle Vision Award.
Grace Walsh
Volunteer Director
Grace Walsh, a Reiki Shamanism Master Teacher of Cherokee, Irish, and Welsh descent, left her IT career to focus on energy healing and spiritual teaching. A former Bear Dancer, she has led drum circles and retreats throughout New England. Her strong spiritual connection to the Berkshires led to her supporting Indigenous homecomings and ceremonies to welcome the Mohican people back to their lands.
Elizabeth Frishkoff
Fundraising & Hospitality Coordinator
Elizabeth Frishkoff, MSW, is a Certified HANDLE® Instructor and Spacial Dynamics® provider with over 15 years dedicated to researching gaps in the historical narrative and uplifting Indigenous perspectives. Her work has focused on studying early contact records, original place names, and regional languages—including Abenaki, Mahican, Munsee‑Delaware, and Passamaquoddy—to better understand the cultural landscape of the Mohican Homelands.
Elizabeth’s commitment to language revitalization and Indigenous worldview has guided her efforts to create educational resources, maps, and materials that honor the deep relationships between people, land, and culture. Through extensive study of local waterways, landscapes, historical documents, and community knowledge, she has cultivated a rich foundation for supporting cultural reclamation and Land Back efforts.
She is grateful for the guidance of many teachers across Abenaki, Navajo, Mohican, Mohawk, and Schaghticoke communities, as well as her own family’s diverse ancestral roots. Elizabeth is honored to serve on the Homelands Powwow Board and is committed to supporting the return of Mohican people to their Eastern Homelands.
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Get In Touch
We are a Massachusetts-based nonprofit and a recognized 501(c)(3) charitable organization. While we do not speak on behalf of the Stockbridge-Munsee Tribal Council or represent the Tribe, we are deeply honored to help create a space for conncection, culture, and healing in the homelands for our community.
Contact Us
- General Inquiries:
info@homelandspowwow.org - Volunteering:
volunteer@homelandspowwow.org - Board:
board@homelandspowwow.org