Lorén M. Spears, enrolled Narragansett Tribal Nation citizen and Executive Director of Tomaquag Museum, holds a master’s in education and received a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa in 2017, from the University of Rhode Island and Doctor of Education, Honoris Causa from Roger Williams University in 2021. She is an author, artist, and shares her cultural knowledge with the public through museum programs. She has contributed to a variety of publications such as Dawnland Voices, An Anthology of Indigenous Writing of New England; Through Our Eyes: An Indigenous View of Mashapaug Pond; From Slaves to Soldiers: The 1st Rhode Island Regiment in the American Revolution; and Repair: Sustainable Design Futures. Spears co-edited a new edition of A Key into the Language of America by Roger Williams, and recently co-authored “As We Have Always Done: Decolonizing the Tomaquag Museum’s Collections Management Policy," published in the Collections: A Journal for Museum and Archive Professionals. Under her leadership, Tomaquag Museum received the Institute of Museums and Library Service'’ National Medal in 2016, and she has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including induction into the RI Heritage Hall of Fame in 2025.
Silvermoon Mars LaRose is a citizen of the Narragansett Tribal Nation and the Assistant Director of the Tomaquag Museum. She has worked in tribal communities for over 20 years, serving in the areas of health and human services, education, and humanities. As a public servant, Silvermoon serves on the Rhode Island State Council for the Arts, the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission, and is the secretary for the Charlestown Conservation Commission. Additionally, she is the vice chair for the Avenue Concept supporting local public art ecosystems, and a board member of the Rhode Island Foundation. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, a minor in Justice Law and Society from the University of Rhode Island, and continued her studies at Western Washington University in Rehabilitation Counseling. As an artist and educator, she hopes to foster Indigenous empowerment through education, community building, and the sharing of cultural knowledge and traditional arts.
Samantha Cullen-Fry is the Indigenous Empowerment Center (IEC) Program Manager at Tomaquag Museum. Samantha’s role is to help facilitate relationships, through museum partnerships, that create a catalyst for economic change within the Native Community of Rhode Island. Many of the relationships formed have been with nonprofits in the state of Rhode Island. These partnerships focus on the various areas of interest in the community, including but not limited to theater, community-led initiatives, metalworking, pottery, education, business development, entrepreneurship, fish and wildlife, and many others. Samantha comes from a strong background in sales management. The creation of IEC was a calling for her to get back into the workforce after being a stay at home mom of her two beautiful girls. Her goal is to make a meaningful difference in her community through social justice and activism lens. In her spare time, Samantha enjoys attending Providence basketball games, listening to audiobooks, podcasts. She also enjoys gardening. Samantha is currently attending College Unbound in Providence, RI, obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Change.
Chrystal Mars Baker, is a Narragansett Tribal citizen whose love and service to family is her primary motivation for all she does. She feels blessed to descend from paternal and maternal lineages of her Tribe whose examples of integrity, hard work and spirituality are core values upon which she conducts her daily life. Chrystal is an educator who enjoys reading, researching, sharing history, and having thought provoking dialogue. As the first postsecondary graduate of her family, she proudly holds a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education/Social Studies from the University of Rhode Island. In her professional capacity, Chrystal is the Education Manager at the Tomaquag Museum, serves on the Board of Directors for the Rhode Island Humanities and The JonnyCake Center of Wakefield. As a member of the Charlestown Historical Society, she carries on the legacy of her grandparents who were among its founders. Her role in these organizations enable her to share cultural knowledge while working to uplift the Native voice.