A new project is changing how people experience Boston landmarks. The performance company White Snake Projects has launched an augmented reality experience that integrates Indigenous voices into the history of the Freedom Trail. By using a phone-based app, visitors can access original performances at specific sites like the Old State House.
This initiative intends to provide a more complete historical picture. Rather than replacing the existing narrative, it adds perspectives from Native people whose ancestors experienced these events firsthand. The project uses a combination of music, storytelling, and digital tools to ensure these accounts are heard at the exact locations where history unfolded.
Accessibility is a core component of this effort. The experience is available for free, allowing anyone with a smartphone to access these performances while physically standing on site. This effort reflects a broader shift toward acknowledging voices that were previously left out of public historical accounts.
White Snake Projects is behind the effort, focusing on the intersection of technology and live performance. The group aims to push past traditional museum-style storytelling to create a direct link between modern visitors and the past. Residents and tourists now have a clear path to engage with this material during their walk through the city.