Live Free and Draw

Hannah Dustin (1697)

NH Historical Highway Marker #0049 raises disturbing questions about the role of violence, trauma, and racial identity in New England history:

1697-hannahdustin-01-www_marekbennett_com-www_marekbennett_com


1697-hannahdustin-02-www_marekbennett_com 1697-hannahdustin-03-www_marekbennett_com

<< BACK: Marker in the snow | NEXT: Context for the first line… >>

The text of this comic comes directly from the marker itself, found at the Boscawen park ‘n’ ride (map here):

1697-hannahdustin-boscawen-detail_02

This is actually an incomplete (even misleading) version of the events!  Of course, the next step is to annotate this partial telling with details found in some contemporary accounts and more recent commentary, namely:

Marek

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2 responses to “Hannah Dustin (1697)”

  1. Julie Avatar
    Julie

    She was my 9th Great Grandmother. The comic didn’t put the part where they brained her new born baby in front of her and that they were being held until they were going to be marched up to Canada to run the gauntlet. However, me telling this does not mean I do not understand the role that my ancestors played from colonialism and the genoicide of innocent natives that whites caused. I am simply saying the role of racism does not apply with her. She didn’t kill them because they were natives. She killed them because she was going to be made to run the gauntlet and they brained her newborn baby in front of her. A mother’s wrath knows no boundary. By the way, I believe that natives had the right to the land that Colonials stole from them. Whites were the savages. Whites were the cancer. What can you do though about history? Teach it so it never happens again.

    Reply
    1. Marek Avatar
      Marek

      J ~ Agreed, this comic represents ONLY the text posted on the Historical Highway Marker sign. It’s part of a (projected) longer series that examines different parts of the story & its historiography — definitely including deeper looks into the experiences of the Dustin family & native peoples of the time. Alas, it’s on my back burner at the moment, but thanks for your comments… ~ M

      Reply

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