The Needham Branding and Town Seal Committee thought the finish line was in sight. It has been meeting since November 2023 and completed the branding logo last summer, voting unanimously to adopt the town’s first logo in August. Members then turned their attention to redesigning the town seal, a state-mandated icon that is used in more official situations.
The current town seal is replete with historical and geographical inaccuracies. It depicts Chief Nehoiden and an unspecified English settler concluding a deal whereby the natives gave up land that would, in part, become Needham. With the idea of changing the town seal to more fairly reflect the moment, the committee has tried — several times — fine-tuning body language so that the Native American and the English settler appeared as equals.
But the entire concept of a settler making a fair deal with the natives was derailed in the committee’s Jan. 21 meeting in response to concerns of the Massachusett Natick Praying Indians. “The family of the tribe all took a look at it and we all came to the same thought,” said Amber Autumn Sun Orlando, the tribe’s representative on the committee. “Something wasn’t right.” The tribe rejected a proposed new image because it seemed to portray a fair transaction being conducted.
Other committee members agreed. “It was an unfair business deal,” said Committee Chair and Select Board member Kevin Keane. The natives lost their land, although the native’s signatory on the deed, Nehoiden, retained hunting and fishing rights in Hemlock Gorge. “The image was like putting lipstick on a pig,” Keane said.
“We knew this was going to be hard,” said Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick. “We have the Praying Indians next door and we want to be respectful of them.”
The committee reviewed a new image of a native canoeist on the Charles. Graphic artist David Linde showed the committee mockups of this draft design.
“If we go with the Charles and the canoe, it’s an image, not a story anymore,” said committee member Gloria Greis, director of the Needham History Center & Museum.
“This is going to engender a large amount of discussion,” said committee member and town clerk Louise Miller. “How does this say Needham? It could be anywhere.”
Fitzpatrick suggested sending the images of the canoe to the illustrator who had been hired in anticipation of finalizing the seal. The committee will meet again Feb. 11.
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