The Branding and Town Seal Committee has been on the job for 13 months, first designing a new logo for the town before turning its attention to the development of a new town seal. At its last meeting, it agreed on the general parameters of a seal design, which is not yet final. It will be refined and finished by an illustrator.
The proposed design eliminates a host of historical and topographical errors of the current seal, including a native person clothed in attire typical of Great Plains tribes, a dwelling that would not have been found in New England and towering mountains that resemble the Rockies more than the gentle hills of Needham. The Christian crosses have been eliminated but the “Inc. 1711” is retained.
The committee struggled to present the historical image in a manner both accurate and culturally sensitive. The center of the image depicts an Anglo settler and a native person having what appears to be a pleasant conversation. The settler is depicted holding a document, presumably the 1680 Dedham deed, and Chief Nehoiden has a document rolled up in his left hand.
Cynthia Ganung, a representative of Needham’s Human Rights Committee, praised the redesign and said Nehoiden’s image “looks very relaxed.”
David Linde, formerly a member of the committee and currently the graphic designer for the redesign, was asked to make some changes from his previous proposal. Now Nehoiden appears to be gesticulating while the white settler patiently listens to him. Also, the settler’s feet are now firmly planted on the ground in a less aggressive posture.
Select Board Chair Kevin Keane said he wanted the image to convey a narrative but not “a French film with no plot.”
The committee had guidance on period dress from Gloria Greis, director of the Needham History Center and Museum, and Amber Sun Orlando of the Massachusett Praying Indians. Sun Orlando suggested the number of feathers in Nehoiden’s headdress be reduced to two to reflect the then-current custom and Greis pointed out there were no shoelaces in the late 17th century.
Greis also pointed out that the real story probably would not evoke town pride. “The deeds were mostly fictional,” she said. “They essentially codified the land that had already been stolen.”
Nehoiden himself was a complicated figure. An Anglicized and Christianized native, he benefited from the transaction. “He acted as a scout for the English during King Philip’s War,” Greis said. During that war the native people were decimated, and the Puritans sent many of the survivors into Caribbean slavery. Meanwhile, Nehoiden received 10 pounds 40 shillings worth of corn and the right to hunt and fish in Hemlock Gorge for the rest of his life.
Of course, history can no more easily be told in a single image than it can be in a single sound bite. Linde pointed out that a seal has to retain simplicity in order to be used and seen effectively. “The story almost lent itself to too much detail,” he said.
A professional illustrator will now bring the image to life. “It will be a traditional pen-and-ink, woodcut style,” Linde said. Once the committee reviews the final image, it will be presented to the Select Board. Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick said she hopes to have it back by January so it can be in the warrant for Annual Town Meeting for final approval.
State laws require a seal to emboss official documents, and many municipalities and the state itself are in the process of redesigning their seals.
Save as PDF