John Lord

As a descendant of Hannah Duston, I write to oppose HB 1664 that would require removal of her statue in Boscawen. Hannah was captured by Indians during a raid in which 27 of her neighbors were killed and her newborn brutally murdered before her eyes. She was being transported as a captive to Quebec, where her fate may well have been slavery. Is it any wonder that she sought to escape and in the process to enact retribution for what she, her child and neighbors had suffered? This is history, not myth. If anything, our State needs more reminders of our colonial history, not less. A few years ago, a group of citizens, including several of Abenaki descent, proposed installing additional signage at the site to place Hannah's escape in a larger context by explaining colonial wars and Indian allegiances. For some reason, that constructive approach to history has not materialized, but the answer is not to destroy the statue, rather it is to revive the effort to make the site a place to learn both sides of the story. Sincerely, John M. Lord, Jr.