Joan Tavares Avant facts for kids

Joan Tavares Avant was born on April 14, 1940. She is also known by her native name, Granny Squannit. Joan is a teacher, a leader of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, a historian, and a writer. She lives in Mashpee, Massachusetts.

Joan Avant used to be the Director of Indian Education for the Mashpee Public Schools. She also helped start the Wôpanâak language program. This program teaches the Wampanoag language. As a tribal leader, Joan has been the Tribal President and a Tribal Housing Commissioner. She is also a Clan Mother and a Professional Tribal Elder. She writes a column in the Mashpee Enterprise newspaper. She also edited a newsletter and wrote a book called People of the First Light in 2010.

About Joan Avant's Life

Joan Tavares Avant is the granddaughter of Mabel Pocknett Avant. Mabel was a respected leader in the Mashpee community. Joan has been the Tribal President three times. She has also served as the Tribal Historian four times.

For 26 years, Joan was the Director of Indian Education in the Mashpee Public School System. She created a special Wampanoag curriculum. This curriculum taught Native and non-Native people about Wampanoag history and culture. She also worked with Wampanoag families for over 30 years. She helped them with social issues. She also served in court as a Professional Tribal Elder. In this role, she guided families in need. She also helped Wampanoag students and teachers. She worked to create school daycare and tutoring services. She helped create a curriculum that shared stories of Wampanoag elders, culture, history, and values.

In 1993, Joan was honored for her work in education. This award came from the Falmouth Affirmative Action Committee. In November 2012, she was on CBS News. The segment was called Wampanoag: Reviving the language. She talked about the Wampanoag Language Reclamation Project. This project helps bring the Wampanoag language back to life.

Today, Joan is still very active in the Mashpee community. She is a Clan Mother and a Commissioner for the Tribal Housing Commission. She is also a member of the Mashpee Historical Commission. She serves on the Mittark Committee. This committee publishes Nashauonk Mittark. This is the monthly Mashpee Wampanoag newsletter.

Joan is a mother to four children. She has five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She also has two adult children whom she loves very much. She is one of seven Clan Mothers in her tribe. She is the Deer Clan Mother.

Joan Avant's Education

Joan Avant went to college later in life. In 1993, at age 53, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She studied human services at the University of Massachusetts Boston. In 1995, she earned a master's degree in education. She got this degree from Cambridge College. She is currently working on her doctoral degree in Education. She is studying at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The Legend of Granny Squannit

Granny Squannit is a very old Wampanoag legend. She is described as an old medicine woman. A medicine woman is someone who uses traditional healing methods. Granny Squannit has long black hair. She has only one eye in the middle of her forehead. The legend says she takes away children who misbehave. She takes them in her canoe to her cave in Cummaquid. She scares them so they will be good.

But Granny Squannit also has a kind side. She gives gifts to good children. She also guides sailors who leave her presents. Every Halloween, Joan Avant dresses up as Granny Squannit. She greets Mashpee children as they walk through the woods. Sometimes she even scares them a little!

Joan played Granny Squannit for 20 years. She kept the legend alive through her writings. Because of this, the tribal medicine man gave her "Granny Squannit" as her native name. She continues to write articles about Granny Squannit. She even has her own column called "Tales from Granny Squannit" in the Mashpee Enterprise. She also has a tattoo of Granny Squannit on her right arm.

Joan Avant Today

Joan writes, "I am honored to serve as a founding trustee for the WLRP project to open a K-3 immersion charter school in the fall of 2015. It has been my forever passion to not only preserve the culture but to assist making wise pedagogic decisions for our children and families in their own public recognized tribal school". This means she is proud to help start a school that teaches young children in the Wampanoag language. She wants to help keep her culture alive. She also wants to make good choices for her tribe's children and families.