Sights ~ Enishkeetompauog Narragansett ~ Narragansett

Sprague Park 

Kingstown Road (Route 1A) and Strathmore Street, 

Narragansett, Rhode Island

Found him! Not that I didn't already know where he was, but our Narragansett excursion on Labor Day brought me into the presence of Enishkeetompauog Narragansett, a 23-foot wood statue of a Narragansett Indian at the corner of Rte. 1A and Strathmore St.

The statue was carved from Douglas fir by sculptor Peter Wolf Toth, a Hungarian immigrant. It was finished and dedicated in 1982.

Wondering what "Enishkeetompauog Narragansett" means? According to Quahog.org (who had an in-depth article on Toth and his statue), "The first word, according to Brown, translates roughly as "all human beings." "Narragansett" means "at the small, narrow point," or "the people of the small, narrow point." So the full title means, essentially, "the people of the small, narrow point—a part of all humanity." This echoes another of Toth's themes, that the statues represent all humanity and stand against injustice to all people."

The plaque at the bottom of the base reads: 

ENISHKEETOMPAUOG NARRAGANSETT 

CREATED BY SCULPTOR PETER TOTH 

STONEWORK BY THE NARRAGANSETT INDIANS 

DEDICATED AUGUST 12, 1982 

PLAQUE DONATED BY NARRAGANSETT LIONS CLUB 

It's important to note that the stonework was done by specific Narragansetts, stonemasons Craig "Little Fox" Champlin and Ellison "Sonny" Brown.

Not all Narragansett are supportive of the statue. The Tomaquag Museum released this video, acknowledging Toth's good intentions, and explaining why the statue is still viewed as problematic.