Melvin Coombs

Melvin Coombs
Born	January 30, 1948(1948-01-30) Mashpee, Massachusetts
Died	March 18, 1997(1997-03-18) (aged 49) Rhode Island
Other names	Kennupmussitaccq ("Quick Foot")
Occupation	Dancer, cultural educator, and cultural interpreter

Melvin Coombs (January 30, 1948 - March 18, 1997) was a Wampanoag dancer, cultural educator, and cultural interpreter.

Biography

Born and raised in Mashpee, Massachusetts, Coombs' native name was Kennupmussitaccq, meaning "Quick Foot". He graduated from high school in Falmouth. After attending Cape Cod Community College in Barnstable, he began dancing competitively at local pow-wows.

Coombs later began speaking in schools and other community gatherings in an attempt to dispel myths and stereotypes about indigenous peoples of the Americas. In the 1990s, he served as a cultural interpreter at the Plymouth Plantation while working for the Wampanoag Indian Program. Together with his fiancee, Dawn Dove, he managed the Dovecrest Cultural Center in Exeter, which includes the Tomaquag Museum, the Dove Trading Post and a cultural education program.^[1][2]

On March 18, 1997, Coombs died of severe injuries in Richmond, Rhode Island. He and Lloyd Lance Comer, an acquaintance, were seen together drinking much of the day and night. Comer was initially charged with manslaughter, as Coombs' body was found on his property. He was acquitted.^[3]

Marriage and family

At the time of his death, Coombs was engaged to Dawn Dove, a Narragansett. They lived in Exeter, Rhode Island.^[3]

References

1. ^ JULIA ST. GEORGE, "Melvin Coombs is not forgotten", Cape Cod Times, 9 September 1997
2. ^ JOANN W. GODDARD, "A Living History Lesson: Festival An Outdoor Classroom", Hartford Courant, 18 August 1996
3. ^ ^{a b} ELIZABETH ABBOTT, "Comer cleared of manslaughter in Coombs slaying", Providence Journal, 5 May 1999

Persondata
Name	Coombs, Melvin
Alternative names	Kennupmussitaccq ("Quick Foot")
Short description	Dancer, cultural educator, and cultural interpreter
Date of birth	January 30, 1948
Place of birth	Mashpee, Massachusetts
Date of death	March 18, 1997
Place of death	Rhode Island