GREENFIELD — The Historical Society of Greenfield will launch its 2023 Speaker Series on Thursday with a presentation by Drew Lopenzina, an English professor at Old Dominion University in Virginia.

Lopenzina, who has been a featured speaker at Colrain’s annual William Apess Day celebration at the Griswold Memorial Library, will speak on the 19th century Pequot activist, minister and author in a talk titled “William Apess: Reclaiming a Native Son.” The free talk will take place Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Episcopal Church of Saints James and Andrew at 8 Church St. Free parking is available in a lot adjacent to the church. 

“We’ve been trying to get Drew Lopenzina as a speaker and that has been interrupted by the COVID pandemic,” said Carol Aleman of the Historical Society of Greenfield. “I’m a lifelong student and I’ve been studying … the native people for a while. Apess was of interest to me.”

As the author of three books — “The Routledge Introduction to Native American Literature,” “Through an Indian’s Looking Glass: A Cultural Biography of William Apess, Pequot;” and “Red Ink: Native Americans Picking up the Pen in the Colonial Period” – Lopenzina teaches at the intersections of early American and Native American literature. Although he currently lives in Norfolk, Virginia, Lopenzina grew up in western Massachusetts and his studies focus on the presence of Indigenous peoples in the colonial Northeast.

Aleman said the Historical Society hosts speaker events on a regular basis and has a “full schedule” of events prepared for the year. In the past, speakers have included geologist Richard Little, as well as Jonathan Boschen, who has researched the history of Greenfield’s early movie theaters, and Anne Lanning, who spoke on the 17th and 18th century tavern keepers of the Connecticut Valley. 

“I think [Lopenzina] is very engaging and will provide a lot of information that will inform people of the native presence that isn’t always readily available in our history as it has been written,” Aleman said. “We welcome the community and are excited to finally bring Dr. Lopenzina to Greenfield.”

The public can contact hsgreenfield1907@gmail.com with any questions.

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.

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