Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice

Storyteller Thawn Sherenté Harris, a citizen of the Narragansett Tribe, shares his culture with the greater community through oral history, traditional song, and dance. He lives together with his wife of 28 years, Eleanor Dove Harris, and their seven children adjacent to their tribal lands, where they pass on the values and cultural lifeways of their people.

Following in the traditions of his ancestors, Thawn plays the cedar flute and hand-drum and is a social dancer and singer. Thawn's storytelling and cultural performances include the New England Foundation for the Arts, Rhythm & Roots Music Festival, and Rhode Island Public Libraries, in addition to many New England schools, post-secondary institutions, organizations, and corporations.

His awards include World Champion Eastern War Dancer (2006) and the Motif Favorite Cultural Storyteller of the Year (2023). Thawn has traveled as a cultural ambassador to Tanzania with the University of Rhode Island's (URI) Coastal Resources Exchange Program. A graduate of URI, Thawn is currently a Physical Education Advisor at the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center in Rhode Island.