The short film created for the Springfield Museums’ exhibit features Larry Spotted Crow Mann, a key advisor and member of the Nipmuc Tribe of Massachusetts. It explores the history and cultural practices of the Nipmuc and other tribes in central and western Massachusetts. Mann, along with Andre Strongbearheart Gaines, provides insight into how Indigenous peoples historically marked the land through stories and bent trees, rather than using traditional paper maps.

Mann explains that saplings were intentionally bent to serve as natural markers, pointing to important resources like water. The film also highlights the collaboration with Cat White, a museum exhibit technician, who uncovered historical documents showing Colonial-era land transactions and their impact on Indigenous peoples. This context underscores how European settlers used legal and mapping systems to claim Indigenous lands, a process that continues to resonate in historical and contemporary discussions.