Larry Spotted Crow Mann
Director

Larry Spotted Crow Mann is an enrolled citizen of the Hassanamisco Nipmuc Tribe of Massachusetts. He is an award-winning writer, poet, cultural educator, Traditional Storyteller, tribal drummer and motivational speaker involving youth sobriety, cultural and environmental awareness. He has served as a board member of the Nipmuk Cultural Preservation, which is an organization set up to promote the cultural, social and spiritual needs of Nipmuc people as well as an educational resource of Native American studies. Mann also serves as a Review Committee Member, at The Native American Poets Project at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology.

He travels throughout the United States, Canada and parts of Europe to schools, colleges, pow wows and other organizations sharing the music, culture and history of Nipmuc people. He has also given lectures at universities throughout the United States on issues ranging from Native American Sovereignty to Identity.

He is also the first Native American to sing the opening honor song and land acknowledgement at the 2021 Boston Marathon starting line, and the recipient of the 2021 Indigenous Peoples Award of the Berkshire County Branch of the NAACP.

Anoki Matoonas Mann

Anoki Matoonas Mann is an enrolled citizen of the Hassanamisco Nipmuc Tribe in Massachusetts.

Anoki was born into his tribal culture and grew up singing on the family Tribal Drum, the Quabbin Lake Singers. He is a two-time New England Junior Olympic Boxing Champion. In addition to singing on the Tribal Drum, Anoki enjoys writing his music and playing acoustic guitar. He values education and Culture and looks to continue to expand in both.

Anoki currently works full time at the Nipmuc Farm School in Orange, MA, as well as being a staff member for the Ohketeau Cultual Center.

A premiere and exclusive long term project he is working on at Ohketeau is being part of his own docu-film entitled “Anoki.” This thought-provoking film explores the life and experiences of a Native child growing up in Southern New England with all its complexities and contradictions.

Reina Antunez Mercado, MSW

Reina sees the array of possibilities to serve and support community as she continues to learn from her Taino Elders and Indigenous relatives with whom she works. She is currently a facilitator of the Ohketeau Cultural Center’s monthly Women’s Gathering and took part in co-creating the Indigenous Youth Talent Showcase in the summers of 2023 and 2024.

She is an enrolled member of Higuayagua Taino of the Caribbean Yukayeke (Tribe) and proudly represents her Taino community working diligently to provide opportunities for learning and connection. She is a Matunhero which means regional leader and advisor to the Kasike (regional chief). She serves as Ehibu’no (guide) and co-founder to both a bi-weekly Book Club that focuses on Taino subject matter and the Higuayagua Taino Women’s Circle, which focuses on all the nuances of being a Taino woman in today’s colonial society.

Reina is a graduate of Westfield States master’s in Social Work program. Reina’s volunteer efforts, community relationships, and her over twenty years of extensive training in trauma-informed care, domestic violence, reflective practice, lifelong development, group work, youth work, and an array of evidence-based programming are a testament to her dedication and passion for her work. As a mother of four, she understands the need to create more culturally humble and inclusive  society focused on trauma healing that will benefit future generations.

Jasmine Rochelle Goodspeed

Jasmine Rochelle Goodspeed [She/They](Nipmuc) is a Massachusetts-based actor, singer/songwriter, playwright, and director. Before the pandemic, she produced free Shakespeare in the Park at Look Park for five years under the name “Billy Shakes Free Shakespeare.” She graduated from Umass Amherst with degrees in Theatre and English and a certificate from the five colleges in Native Studies. Most notably, Jasmine has written, produced, and acted in a musical about her tribe, the Nipmuc people of Massachusetts. This musical was titled 1675 and told the story of King Philip’s War and the tragedy of Deer Island. Recently, Jasmine has performed in collaboration with the Wampanoag Nation and Theatre Royal Plymouth in the UK. In the past, she has done work with Double Edge Theatre, Safe Harbors, Silverthorne, and WAM, and is currently working with Plays in Place, writing as a “Pulling at the Roots” playwright with Historic Northampton.

Bruce Curliss (aka Star)

Board Member, Bruce Curliss (aka Star) is a proud enrolled citizen and tribal Council Member of the Hassanamisco Nipmuc Band. He serves as the Community Advocate for the Hassanamisco Band’s “Nukkone Mayash” (the old ways) and the Waterways Advocate. A lifelong learner, observer, writer, and public speaker, his approach is rooted in Eastern Woodland traditions, blending ancestral knowledge with modern expression. With over 30 years of experience in tribal governance, youth development, Public Policy, and Economic Initiatives, Bruce serves on several boards that benefit various causes, from youth programs to water protection, and is a strong advocate for Blue Mind, promoting the healing power of water. Bruce received the 2024 John H. Chafee Leadership Award from the Blackstone Valley Heritage Corridor for his work within the Blackstone Valley

Dr Kim Frashure

Ohketeau Board Clerk, Dr. Kim Frashure is a tenured Professor, Department Chair, and co-founder of the Environmental Science Program at Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) in Boston, Massachusetts. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the University of Massachusetts Boston, an M.S. in Natural Resource Planning from the University of Vermont, and a B.S. in Science Studies from the University of Michigan.

A committed educator and curriculum leader, Dr. Frashure has spearheaded major initiatives to integrate Indigenous perspectives into STEM education, helping to foster a more inclusive and culturally responsive academic environment. She serves as co-Principal Investigator on a NASA-funded project focused on broadening participation in STEM fields, and she has led multiple college-wide faculty development efforts aimed at embedding Indigenous knowledge systems across disciplines.

With more than two decades of experience teaching and developing curriculum for students from elementary through post-secondary levels in both urban and rural communities, Dr. Frashure specializes in experiential, place-based, and land-based education. She is currently developing a new Environmental Studies associate degree program, co-developing a GIS Certificate Program, and creating a new course titled Indigenous Perspectives on Landscapes.
Beyond her academic leadership, Dr. Frashure is the founder of Geospatial Art Maps, LLC., a GIS cartography and consulting business that blends scientific mapping with artistic representation of natural landscapes. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force and an enrolled elder of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, she brings a lifelong commitment to Indigenous advocacy, environmental stewardship, and community empowerment.

Her work bridges traditional ecological knowledge with contemporary science, ensuring that Indigenous histories, landscapes, and worldviews are represented with authenticity and respect. Dr. Frashure is passionate about supporting Indigenous-led organizations and initiatives that advance educational equity, environmental justice, and cultural preservation.

Brian Chenevert

Ohketeau Board Treasurer, Brian Chenevert is an enrolled citizen of the Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe.

He is a historian, researcher, cultural educator, traditional storyteller, author and consultant.

Brian currently serves as the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe and as the Director of the Nulhegan Abenaki Cultural and Historic Preservation Department.

An important part of Brian’s work is ensuring historically relevant and culturally accurate representation of indigenous history and culture. He has been hired by museums, institutions and historical societies across New England as a historical and cultural advisor.

His work as a researcher and advisor has helped to revive the traditional Abenaki winter game of Snow Snakes, which has now been played annually since 2007, as well as the practice of creating dugout canoes.

In 2021 Brian was featured in the PBS documentary “Surviving New England’s Great Dying” where he provided historical information on the devastation caused by first contact with Europeans.

Brian has worked in the financial industry for the last 11 years as a settlement consultant.