Kalani Queypo: Playing Squanto | Saints & Strangers

Squanto is actually a real figure in American history. Quanto is from the Pawtuxet tribe, and Squanto actually is a way for like a decade. He's enslaved, he's captured by Europeans, and he learns the English language. A decade later, he comes back, finds that his entire tribe had been decimated from disease. So he's the last of his tribe.

The fact that he's on the outside because he's been influenced by English culture, he speaks the language, he has a worldview that's different from the land that he has come from. So he finds himself back at home and not feeling at home.

So when the saints and strangers come over on the Mayflower, there's almost a connection that they have because they are also strangers, in a way. "Sad not far from this place and went into the waters that carries that day. I long for my home lift I was already home."

Quanto was a diplomat; he was a translator. Me, as Kalon equipo in the modern world, you straddle traditional and modern. You battle with the values of your people of the past and what's happening right now. There's one point where I'm incapacitated, and the native people say something to Bradford, and he's like, "Oh, if we only had somebody to translate."

You know, and that delicate balance, that instrument, that tool was missing for them. And it just goes to show you how everybody plays their part. There's a role for everybody. Squanto was such an important role in this because he really does bridge that gap between the native people who were there and the Saints and strangers, these settlers.