Plimoth Patuxet welcomes media and press inquiries. Our experienced communication staff is available to answer your questions, arrange interviews and photo shoots, and provide additional assistance. Onsite editorial photography and videography for publication may be permitted with advance written agreement.
If you are a member of the media and would like to request a comment, arrange an interview or photo shoot, please email pr@plimoth.org.
Our Team of Experts
Plimoth Patuxet’s experts are available for press and media interviews. Our team is available to speak on topics such as Wampanoag culture and lifeways, Wampanoag food and traditions of gratitude, the history of Plymouth Colony, the Mayflower Compact, the 1621 Harvest Feast known today as the First Thanksgiving, and many additional topics. Listed below are some of our available speakers and their areas of expertise.
Malissa Costa
Guest Experience Manager, Historic Patuxet Homesite
Malissa Costa (Mashpee, Wampanoag) leads the operations and interpretation on the Historic Patuxet Homesite.
The staff of this major exhibit have been interpreting the history, heritage, and traditions of the Wampanoag, Pokanoket, and other Indigenous Peoples of the Northeast for more than 50 years. With particular expertise in Wampanoag foodways, Malissa is a cultural knowledge-bearer about the stories and cultural survival of the Indigenous people who have lived on this land since time immemorial and continue to thrive here today.
Richard Pickering
Deputy Executive Director & Chief Historian
Richard Pickering is Plimoth Patuxet’s lead media correspondent. He recently edited the first facsimile edition since 1906 of Governor William Bradford’s Of Plimoth Plantation, and is currently completing The Light Here Kindled – a series of short films exploring the faith of the Pilgrims. With four decades of experience at Plimoth Patuxet, Pickering is an expert on the 1621 Harvest Feast known as the First Thanksgiving. He has appeared on PBS NewsHour, NECN, and a satellite media tour that reaches 10.4 million viewers/year in the week before Thanksgiving.
Tim Turner
Associate Director for Indigenous Education
Tim Turner (Cherokee) has been part of the Museums’ team for three decades, serving the public in numerous educational roles. Currently, he works with schools across the country to host in-person programs in their classrooms, or online programs via Plimoth Patuxet’s virtual classroom. Turner is also an expert on the Historic Patuxet Homesite, where he manages and maintains its historical built structures.
Malka Benjamin
Director, Colonial Interpretation & Training
Malka Benjamin leads Plimoth Patuxet’s colonial history interpretation and staff training; working with the Museum’s educators to hone their 17th-century lifeways skills and historical interpretation. She has been portraying one of Plymouth’s 17th-century English colonists since she was a child volunteering in the English Village. With more than a decade of experience in bringing history to life for K-12 students and adults, she is well-versed in the history of Plymouth Colony. Malka is available to connect with you as a modern historian or as a role-player portraying one of the residents of Plymouth Colony.