by Taylor Ratcliffe ·
Friday, August 14, 2026
Walkers gather Aug. 10 for the next leg of the journey to the State House. From left: Margaret Kusner, David Detmold, David Kendall, Wren Ribero, and Patty Ruze. (Courtesy photo)
A dozen people gathered Sunday evening, Aug. 9, at the Harvard Unitarian Universalist Church’s fellowship building on Elm Street to welcome concerned citizens traveling by foot across the state of Massachusetts to raise awareness about the state flag and seal.
Walk for a New Dawn is a movement organized by David Detmold of Montague and co-sponsored by Wren Ribeiro of Easthampton. The walkers aim to bring attention to what they describe as symbols of violence toward Massachusetts Indigenous people and lands. The state flag and seal currently depict a Colonial settler’s arm holding a sword above a Native American figure. Detmold, Ribeiro, and others are traveling on foot to Boston to gather on the State House lawn Aug. 13 and deliver a signed petition encouraging Gov. Maura Healy to act swiftly on adopting a new flag and seal.
The Justice Ministries Council of the Unitarian Church is a sponsor of the walk and hosted a potluck to welcome walkers and interested community members. The evening began with a joining of hands. In that circle, attendees shared where they were from and why they supported Detmold’s cause. One person shared their recent experience at a Canadian theater festival, where a statement of acknowledgment and respect was paid toward Indigenous people and their lands before each performance.
The matter of the Massachusetts flag is not new to Harvard. In 2023 resident Ginger Kendall delivered a citizen petition to voters at Town Meeting, asking residents to unify as a town in support of changing the Massachusetts flag and seal. A majority of voters agreed with Kendall’s concern and voted in favor of the petition. Today, more than 80 other Massachusetts communities have done the same.
When asked Sunday about what motivated her to bring attention to the concerns around the state flag, Kendall said, “It’s about respect for all people.”
Theresa Hoberman of Bolton also came out to support Walk for a New Dawn and considers herself an activist for matters around immigration and democracy. Hoberman started the group Nashoba Indivisible and opens each of the group’s meetings with words to recognize and honor the Indigenous lands we use.
The journey Detmold and Ribeiro are leading began July 24 in Williamstown. At times, Detmold has been joined by as many as two dozen walkers, and at other times he has traveled alone. Conversations and informational leaflets are the tools Detmold uses to communicate the walk’s cause and his concerns. Co-sponsor Ribeiro manages social media chats, QR codes, and communications while she makes the journey. Both say the support for a change in the state flag and what they are walking for has been positive and absent any aggression.
While there have been strides toward adopting a new flag through a 2021 law signed by then Gov. Charlie Baker create the Massachusetts Seal, Flag, and Motto Advisory Commission, Walk for New Day says that progress has been slow and action delayed. The movement’s members hope their walk and the petition they plan to deliver to the State House will expedite a change that fairly and accurately represents Indigenous people.
To support Walk for a New Dawn, Detmold invites Massachusetts residents to finish the walk to the State House with him and Ribeiro or consider contributing to their initiative to support the printing of leaflets to share information. “We appreciate the support showing we are not in this alone. We are in it together,” he said.
Detmold was joined by five community members as he departed Harvard on his journey to Boston Monday morning. Among them was David Kendall, Ginger Kendall’s husband, who walked with him for about 10 miles to Maynard.