My name is Jeremy Dennis and I am an indigenous artist and photographer raised on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation at “Ma’s House” in the eastern end of Long Island, New York. My grandmother, Loretta Silva, also known as Princess Silva Arrow of the Shinnecock Indian Nation, was affectionately called “Ma” by her children and grandchildren. She passed away in 1998 when I was 8 years old. We still call the home where we lived with her “Ma’s House”, and it was always filled with so much love and warmth, welcoming all who came to visit and spend time with our family. My mother told me that when she was young, Ma held mini-powwows with the whole family and other tribe members dancing and singing in our traditional regalia at the house. People from everywhere, even foreign countries, would visit the house and also partake in viewing Native craftwork, handmade beadwork, and enjoy pony rides, archery, as well as eat traditional Indian corn, cooked in the earth layered under seaweed. It’s a huge financial and physical undertaking to restore “Ma’s House” and the Silva family home. With very limited resources my grandfather, Peter Silva, Sr., traditional Chief of the Hassanamisco Band of Indians, of Grafton, Massachusetts, scraped together what he could to build this unique house for Ma and their 6 children about 65 years ago. My mother found a picture of her father salvaging the wood and windows for the house from a Clergy house that was due to be demolished so the materials used for the home may well be over 100 years old. My direct family as well as my aunts, uncles, and cousins have lived at “Ma’s House” and sustained it until recent years with its leaky plumbing, dry rot/mold areas, unfinished basement, and outdated furnace. Ma had always wanted her house to be an educational museum space, a safe haven for all, and a place where arts and culture bring people together. As Ma’s youngest grandchild, I’m determined to uphold my grandmother’s wishes. All of the health disparities and economic injustice within minority communities that have become clear during the COVID-19 pandemic and rise of social justice activism against police brutality, bigotry, and systemic racism show, to me, a deep urgency for artists who identify as Black, Indigenous and/or People of Color (BIPOC) to have safe spaces for free creativity and healing. I believe that “Ma’s House” can provide this space for BIPOC artists and all people who support and uphold moral values for equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
