Zara Cisco Brough facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Zara Cisco Brough
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| Princess White Flower | |
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| Nipmuc leader | |
| Preceded by | Sarah Cisco Sullivan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 3, 1919 New York City, New York |
| Died | January 7, 1988 (aged 69) Massachusetts |
| Cause of death | Parkinson's disease |
Zara Cisco Brough (born January 3, 1919 – died January 7, 1988) was also known as Princess White Flower. She was the Chief, or Sachem, of the Nipmuc Native Indian Tribe for 25 years. She led her people from 1962 until 1987.
Zara Cisco Brough is best known for her hard work to protect and celebrate Nipmuc history and culture. She worked to get the Nipmuc tribe officially recognized by the United States government. This effort led to the Nipmuc being considered for "federally recognized tribe" status by 1995.
During her life, she had many different jobs. She worked as an electronics engineer, a fashion designer, and a writer. She also supervised government projects. From 1974 to 1984, she was a "State commissioner for Indian Affairs." Zara Cisco Brough passed away in 1988 at age 68 from Parkinson's disease.
In 2009, a special facility for young people in Westborough, Massachusetts, was named after her. It is now called the Zara Cisco Brough "Princess White Flower" Facility.
Contents
Early Life and Family History
Zara Cisco Brough was born in 1919 in New York City. Her parents were Sarah Cisco Sullivan and Charles Brough. Her grandfather was James Lemuel Cisco.
Her family's history goes back to William of Sudbury, who lived a long time ago. He was also known as Naaos. William had a son named James Printer. James Printer was a very important person. He worked as a typesetter and helped translate the Bible into the Algonquin language. This was the first Bible translated into a Native American language. Zara Cisco Brough was a descendant of James Printer.
Zara's grandfather, Chief James Lemuel Ciscoe, was the Chief of the Hassanamisco Nipmuc. Her great-grandfather, Samuel C. Cisco, was a Chief of the Narragansett people. Her mother was also a Chief of the Nipmuc nation.
Zara grew up on the Hassanamisco Indian reservation in Grafton, Massachusetts. Her grandfather taught her a lot about tribal traditions and history. This made her very interested in her Native American heritage. She went to school in Grafton.
Starting Her Career
Zara Cisco Brough went to engineering college in Washington D.C. She also took special classes at New York University. After her studies, she worked in many fields. She was a draftsperson, a fashion designer, and a technical writer. She also supervised government projects. She even owned a textile printing company for a while.
During World War II, Zara worked as a civilian consultant for the United States Air Force. She received an award for her excellent work from the Air Force.
Returning Home to Her Roots
In 1959, Zara left New York and moved back home. She wanted to take care of her aging mother. When she returned, she became the vice president of a company called Ibis Corporation. This company worked on electronics and environmental projects.
Leading the Nipmuc Nation
After returning home, Zara became very active in her community. She worked hard to protect the Nipmuc nation's culture and history. In 1959, she was named the tribal Sachem, or Chief, of the Nipmuc people.
In 1962, she started the Hassanamisco Museum. This museum was created to save and share Nipmuc heritage. It was also called "Memorial to the Eastern American Indian." Today, the museum helps preserve the history of many other Native American groups. It displays old artifacts, writings, crafts, and tribal stories. Zara also helped the Nipmuc Nation get rights to Lake Ripple.
Zara played a big part in creating the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs. This group was formed in 1974 and officially recognized in 1976. As a founding member, Zara became the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. She held this important job for eight years, from 1976 to 1984.
As Commissioner, she helped change the rules for the Hassanamisco Foundation. These new rules made sure that Nipmuc reservation lands would always stay with the Nipmuc people. Even if the Cisco family line ended, the land would remain theirs. The Cisco Homestead, her family home, was also recognized as an important historic place in 2009. Zara was also very involved in the Council of New England Indians. She helped organize the Nipmuc part of this council.
Zara Cisco Brough was part of many different groups. She served on planning boards for Grafton and Central Massachusetts. She was also involved with historical societies, museums, and other community organizations. She led the Hassanamisco Reservation Foundation Trust. This trust works to protect Nipmuc tribal lands and heritage.
Zara Cisco Brough as an Author
Besides her work as a consultant and Chief, Zara Cisco Brough was also a writer. As an electronics engineer, she worked with others to publish research. This research was about how "Pattern Ratio Technique" could be used in electronics. Their findings were published in 1969.
She also wrote non-scientific works. These included Native American poetry and books about Nipmuc history. She even wrote books with Nipmuc recipes! In 1970, she received an award for her great service to the community.
Her Lasting Impact
Zara Cisco Brough is remembered for her dedication to preserving Nipmuc heritage. Her most famous effort was trying to get the Nipmuc tribe officially recognized by the United States government. This meant they would be one of the Federally recognized tribes of Native American peoples. By 1995, the Nipmuc were being actively considered for this recognition. Although the tribe gained state recognition, they were not given federal recognition.
To honor her work, a facility for young people in Westborough, Massachusetts, was named after her. It is called the Zara Cisco Brough "Princess White Flower" Facility. This naming became official in 2009.
Images for kids
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Zara Cisco Brough as the chief of Indians
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Department of Youth Services (DYS) facility for teenage girls opened on the grounds of Westborough State Hospital named after Zara Cisco Brough
