Summer Confuorto, Program Officer
Mass Cultural Council is honored to introduce the members of our newly established Native American & Indigenous People’s Advisory Committee. Developed as part of the Agency’s equity work, the Native American & Indigenous People’s Equity Plan recommended the creation of this Advisory Committee to help guide and strengthen our commitments to Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities across the Commonwealth.
Native American & Indigenous People’s Advisory Committee members will collaborate closely with Agency staff and leadership through a dedicated working group to support the implementation of the equity plan, helping to create and evaluate systems and services, assess programs, and establish meaningful annual benchmarks that advance our equity goals. We are profoundly appreciative of their partnership and cultural expertise in advancing this important and ongoing effort.
We are also deeply grateful for the leadership of Rhonda Anderson, Mass Cultural Council governing Council member, who is supporting and guiding the Advisory Committee, and for Erin Genia, an artist, consultant, and trusted advisor whose expertise has shaped the planning, facilitation, and implementation of this work.
We welcome these leaders and their guidance over the next year!
Cheryll Toney Holley is the current Sonksq (Female Leader or chief) of the Hassanamisco Band of the Nipmuc Nation, an Indigenous tribe recognized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She is a co-founder and the clerk of the Nipmuc Indian Development Corporation (NIDC), a Native Community Development Corporation. She also directs the Hassanamisco Indian Museum located on the tribe’s Reservation in Grafton, Massachusetts. For 10 years, she served on the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs. Holley is currently employed as the manager of the dermatology clinic at UMass Memorial Medical Center.
Dr. Darlene Flores, DC is a dedicated chiropractor, community leader, and cultural advocate committed to health equity, social justice, and the empowerment of BIPOC communities. A proud Borikua with deep roots in service and healing, Dr. Flores brings over 15 years of experience in holistic healthcare and grassroots organizing. She is the proud owner of Karaya Wellness Clinic in Brookline, MA, where she provides holistic, patient-centered care to people from all walks of life — with a special focus on serving veterans and underserved communities.
As a passionate advocate for Indigenous and Taino voices, she leads and co-founded community events such as the Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration in Newton, MA, which uplifts Native American and Indigenous traditions, stories, and culture through ceremony, education, and unity. Her leadership bridges cultural preservation with modern advocacy, ensuring that underrepresented communities are seen, heard, and honored.
She is the founder of Mothers Path to Ancestors (HUAH), a newly established nonprofit centered on reconnecting women, families, and communities with ancestral knowledge, ceremony, and wellness practices. Through HUAH, Dr. Flores seeks to create sacred spaces for healing, empowerment, and cultural restoration.
David W. Weeden is an active enrolled member/citizen of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and has worked with the Tribe since 2015; as the Deputy THPO before ascending to the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO) in 2019, a job which he is extremely passionate about. Past professional accomplishments include working as an independent contractor, draftsman/detailer, cultural educator, union laborer foreman, and museum interpreter before taking his recent positions.
Weeden is a dedicated professional with extensive experience in tribal affairs, historic preservation, and project management. He possesses strong acumen in Town and Tribal legislation and is deeply committed to County regulatory matters. He has considerable experience as a cultural heritage preservationist and event manager, developing cultural-based museum exhibits and frequently participating in speaking engagements around the region.
Jean-Luc Pierite (member, Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana) is an Indigenous artist, activist, leader, and scholar. Pierite currently serves as the president of the board of directors for the North American Indian Center of Boston (NAICOB). NAICOB is Massachusetts’ oldest urban Indian center and a curatorial partner in the City of Boston’s Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture “Un-monument | Re-monument | De-monument” project. Formerly an MIT MLK Visiting Scholar, Pierite is now a lecturer in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning with a focus on Indigenous planning and futurism.
Pierite has earned a Master in Design for Emergent Futures from the Institut d’Arquitectura Avançada de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain, and earned a Bachelor of the Arts in Humanities with a co-major in Mass Communication and Japanese from Dillard University in New Orleans, LA. Pierite also earned an Associate of Science in Video Game Design from Full Sail University in Orlando, FL.
Maria Turner is the Director of the Indian Child Welfare Act program for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe after a notable 24-year career at the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, where she advanced to the position of supervisor. Her deep commitment to community welfare was reflected as the School Wellness Counselor for the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project. Additionally, Turner serves as the Chairwoman of the Natick Nipmuc Tribe, representing the Nipmuc Nation Confederacy with distinction. Her leadership extends to her role as a representative for the American Baptist Church Indian Ministries in the Eastern Region, alongside chairing the Mashpee Indian Education Parent Committee and the Massachusetts DCF Racial, Ethnic, and Linguistic Minority Affairs.
Turner, who also co-authored the “Me, Naturally” booklet, addressing the unique care needs of DCF foster children of color, holds a Master of Education in Counseling from Bridgewater State University, underscoring her dedication to enhancing Indigenous and foster care communities’ welfare and education.
Melissa Ferretti was born in Plymouth County (Wareham), the daughter of Bernard Marsden Harding (Herring Pond Wampanoag HPWT), raised in Cedarville/South Plymouth and Bournedale by Verna May Harding (HPWT Elder).
Ferretti’s professional career began in early 1998 in a position at the Town of Mashpee, Town Clerk’s office. She then worked for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe as the Executive Administrative Assistant. In 2003, Ferretti went on to become a Commonwealth of Massachusetts licensed Real Estate Sales Associate and Notary Public—she still holds these designations today and is currently affiliated with Jack Conway & Company. She is the former Vice President of Operations for Select Staffing of MA, a position she held for over 6 years. Currently alongside her real estate work she does freelance research, consulting, and back office/bookkeeping.
Ferretti is proudly serving her fourth term as the elected Chairwoman of the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe located in Plymouth/Bournedale MA. She dedicates much of her time to better her community. In her role as Tribal chairwoman, she has worked tirelessly on the many initiatives and challenges that indigenous communities face in our society today.
NaDaizja Bolling (citizen, Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Aquinnah) is the Executive Director of the Aquinnah Cultural Center, where her work centers on strengthening the connection between Wampanoag people, their stories, and the lands and waters that continue to sustain them. Through programs in historic preservation, cultural education, and Wampanoag arts—as well as efforts advancing food sovereignty and the care of land and water—she drives opportunities for learning and cultural expression that are authentic, intergenerational, and community-led.
NaDaizja approaches leadership as both a responsibility and a creative process, balancing organizational fortitude with care for people and place. She is passionate about shaping spaces where Wampanoag culture is not only preserved but lived and shared in evolving, self-defined ways. Outside of her professional role, she enjoys time outdoors, especially at the beach, and continues to refine traditional skills and art forms such as weaving, hide preparation, and seasonal food cultivation.
Steven Peters is a culturally and socially active citizen of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and partner at the Native American creative agency SmokeSygnals. He is responsible for the development of historical exhibits, content, and interactive attractions that challenge historical myths. His work can be seen at Mystic Seaport Museum, the Box Museum in Plymouth England, the Museum De Lakenhal in Lieden, and the National Museum of the American Indian and Provincetown Museum. In addition, he provided the creative direction for the traveling exhibit “Our” Story: 400 Years of Wampanoag History, an exhibit that has been featured in Time Magazine, New York Times, BBC Radio, and many other national and international publications for its ability to correct historical inaccuracies.