Questions & Answers about the Nipmucs and Lampson Brook Farm
Q- How would Nipmuc land stewardship benefit Belchertown?
A- The Nipmuc’s plan for Lampson Brook Farm will preserve the open spaces, agricultural lands, and recreational areas that serve the community’s ecological and recreational needs. They have the ability to leverage state funds to clean up the enterprise zone and work with the state and private developers to remediate soils and remove contaminants. If Belchertown and Massachusetts residents support the stewardship of Lampson Brook Farm by the Nipmuc, we can all be a part of supporting a vibrant community that prioritizes healthy food, open space and conservation of native habitat.
Q – Were the Nipmuc the original stewards of Belchertown?
a – Before English colonization, the land that is now Belchertown sat within a broader Connecticut River Valley foodway — farmed and used by multiple Indigenous communities, Nipmuc among them. It wasn’t the exclusive territory of one nation; Nipmuc territory historically extended across most of central Massachusetts and into parts of Connecticut and Rhode Island, bordering and overlapping with the communities of the river valley.
The specific Indigenous nations who lived directly along the Connecticut River did not survive English colonization as intact, independent communities. But their people did not simply disappear — the survivors dispersed into neighboring Indigenous communities, including the Hassanamisco Nipmuc, who absorbed and carried forward their descendants.
So the Nipmuc weren’t the sole original inhabitants of this exact parcel — but they were among the communities who stewarded this land, and today they carry forward the descendants of the river valley communities who did not survive as separate nations. That makes the Hassanamisco Nipmuc, a state-recognized tribe with an unbroken presence in the region, the Indigenous community best positioned to hold and continue that stewardship today, at little cost to the state or town.
Q- Why Lampson Brook Farm?
A- Today’s Nipmuc leaders are engaged in efforts to regain access to their ancestral homelands in pursuit of increased community health. Growing healthy food has been a large motivation, since diabetes and heart disease were found to be concerns in a Nipmuc community health study. The Nipmuc currently manage several sustainable agriculture projects across the state. The addition of the Lampson Brook Farm would help make the tribe’s vision of increased food security and community health a reality.
Q- How do I get a lawn sign to show my support in Belchertown?
A -Click here and we will get it to you
Q – What will happen to the farmers there?
A – No farmer will be removed from the farm. The Hassanamisco Nipmuc government and their non-profit, the Nipmuc Indian Development Corp (NIDC), are committed to allowing current farmers to remain on the land. If a farmer leaves, then we will gladly farm the parcel ourselves. This has been the promise from the start and has been articulated multiple times to both NESFI and the Lampson Brook Farm Board.
Q – What is the Nipmucs’ plan for Lampson Brook Farm?
A – The vision is for a community-focused working farm. Plans include creating a small “agrihood,” where a few families (3–5 in total) can live and farm on the land. Families would live in existing developed areas, in modest single-family homes owned by NIDC and rented at cost. They would be chosen based on their commitment to farming, with preference for Nipmuc families but open to anyone ready for the hard work of agriculture.
The Nipmucs also plan to:
- Convert one barn into a community kitchen and classroom space.
- Use the commercial kitchen for preparing value-added products (like jams, baked goods, or preserves) that benefit both residents and the wider Belchertown community. Current farmers and families would have access to the commercial kitchen.
- Support families in growing food to eat, trade, and sell at a farm stand or market.
This vision is about farming, food security, and community use. Claims that the farm will be turned into a hotel, condominiums or casino are false.
Q – Is the Hassanamisco Nipmuc Band a real Indian tribe?
A – Yes. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts officially recognized the Hassanamisco Nipmuc Band (HNB) in 1976 as the Nipmuc tribal government. State agencies are directed to work directly with the Hassanamisco Nipmuc government. HNB’s roots go back centuries: Hassanamesit (Hassanamisco) was one of the early “Praying Towns” established in the 1600s and has remained the homeland of Nipmuc families ever since.
In 1995, the Hassanamisco Nipmuc joined with other Nipmuc bands to create “Nipmuc Nation” in hopes of gaining federal recognition. When those efforts did not succeed, the Hassanamisco Nipmuc Band formally withdrew from the Nipmuc Nation, retaining their state recognition as the official Nipmuc government in Massachusetts.
Q – Is it possible for the Nipmucs to put a casino on the farm?
A – No. The Hassanamisco Nipmuc Band is a state-recognized tribe in Massachusetts, not a federally recognized one. By law, only federally recognized tribes with land in federal trust can open a casino under the 1988 Indian Gaming Act. Because of this, the Hassanamisco Nipmuc Band cannot and will not open a casino. More importantly, the Nipmucs’ interest in Lampson Brook Farm is about protecting the land and farming, not gaming.
