Projo — Narragansett Tribe will be able to walk onto Narragansett Town Beach for free this summer

The southern end of Narragansett Town Beach, narrowed by high tide last July 12. Kris Craig/The Providence Journal, File

May 17, 2022

By Antonia Noori Farzan — Members of the Narragansett Indian Tribe will be able to walk onto Narragansett Town Beach for free this summer despite the objections of some residents who voiced concerns about overcrowding. 

The Narragansett Town Council narrowly voted to approve the change late Monday night during a raucous meeting that lasted for more than four hours.

"It’s about the beach, but in many ways, it's about more than just the beach," said Town Council President Jesse Pugh, who introduced the resolution along with Councilwoman Deb Kopech. 

Typically, anyone over the age of 12 must pay a $12 admission fee to walk onto Narragansett Town Beach, on top of paying for parking. Narragansett residents have the option of purchasing a discounted seasonal pass.

Pugh said Monday that members of the Narragansett tribe, regardless of whether they are town residents, would be able obtain a seasonal pass for free by showing their tribal identification cards at the beach's sales office. The pass will be good only for this summer, and the town has no obligation to continue the program after this year.

Supporters see the move as a small but meaningful way to honor the tribe that the town took its name from. But opponents said it seemed like the measure was being rushed through.

Charging people to walk onto the beach is at odds with the Narragansetts' traditional beliefs, Pugh said. To make his point, he had digitally altered photographs of council members and placed them in unlikely scenarios: President Pro Tem Susan Cicilline Buonanno holding a "Defund Libraries" sign, and Councilwoman Ewa Dzwierzynski next to a banner that said "I Support Styrofoam." 

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