Long celebrated by many as a New England folk hero, Myles Standish is remembered by this lands' first peoples for the extreme acts of violence he committed against their ancestors. His leading role at the Massacre of Wessagusset resulted in the murder, execution, and dismemberment of several members of the Neponset Band of the Massachusett Tribe. One of his victims, a prominent warrior named Wituwamat, was beheaded after the massacre, and Standish had this gruesome war trophy placed atop the meetinghouse of the fort at Plymouth Colony as a warning to all Indigenous peoples who saw it.

After several months of discussion at tribal council meetings, the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag--the descendants of the Neponset Band--has proposed a new name for Boston University's Myles Standish Hall: Wituwamat Memorial Hall. The call to change the building's name comes amidst a growing movement to redesign the Massachusetts state seal, which features Standish's arm swinging a sword above the head of a Native American. 

Importantly, Standish has no direct connection to BU. The building, built in 1925, was named Myles Standish Hotel. BU inherited that name when they purchased the building in 1949. It's time to honor the wishes of the Massachusett Tribe with a name that reflects BU's mission for equality and inclusivity. It's time to change the name!