Each certified candidate in the 2023 General Election has been given this platform to introduce themselves to the community and state why they are running for council in 250 words or less.

In this new section of the Mittark, we will be featuring one TERO-certified tribal business to share with the community. If you are an owner of a TERO-certified business and would like to be featured, please contact dasia@smokesygnals.com

John John Hughes is now one of a small group of tribal members that have completed the Maylfower Wind Marine Protected Species Observer Certification. John John completed the certification on January 23 and will be heading out on his first rotation at the end of February in New Jersey.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is available for the 2023 winter season. LIHEAP is designed to help eligible low-income households supplement part of their winter heating service bills.

On Friday, January 13, federal district court Judge Angel Kelley held a court proceeding in which all parties were able to present their arguments as to why the court should rule in their favor. Attorneys for the Tribe and the United States together argued that the court should uphold the Secretary of the Interior’s finding that the Mashpee Tribe was under federal jurisdiction in 1934, and that therefore the Tribe’s land should remain in trust.

Are you registered to vote? The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Election Committee extends notice to all enrolled Tribal Members who will turn 18 years of Age on or before Sunday, February 12th, 2023. Members are required to complete a Voter Registration Form in order to cast their vote at the general election on Sunday, February 12, 2023 (the “Election Day”).

TERO Office has been actively recruiting for their hiring hall and business list. TERO is looking to recruit those interested in office / administrative work, law enforcement, and construction. The two occupations TERO doesn’t have enough of are plumbers and electricians.

Tribal member Sherry Pocknett has been nominated for Best Chef Northeast for the 2023 James Beard Foundation Awards. The awards are seen as the “Oscars” of the hospitality industry. Pocknett opened her Sly Fox Den, Too, in Charlestown in 2021 serving both traditional and contemporary takes on Indigenous cuisine.

Tribal members were invited to the Massachusetts Senate last month, where they spoke with Senator Susan Moran. Mashpee Wampanoag artists Robert Peters, Natasha Frye, Hartman Deetz, and Nelson Andrews Jr. also had the opportunity to have their artwork on display in the Senate gallery.

The Weetumuw School will be hosting a winter social on February 17th at 5pm at the Community and Government Center. The social will feature drumming and dancing as well as a potluck and raffle. The social is hosted by the Weetumuw Parent Committee and proceeds will support fundraising for school activities. Contact Nitana Greendeer if you have any questions, or to donate a raffle item at ngreendeer@wlrp.org.

The ICWA Department at the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is looking for individuals who would like to train to become Qualified Expert Witnesses (QEW’s).

A QEW is a person who, by the ICWA law, will attend State Court Hearings in cases where a tribal child is removed from their parents or guardians by the Department of Children and Families because of an allegation of physical abuse or neglect.

Tribal members are invited to learn to play the popular new sport Pickleball with instruction from Fenton Soliz & Wendy Pocknett. Pickleball Night is currently for adults only 20 to 85+ years of age. Equipment is provided but limited to first come, first served. 

The Tribe is pleased to announce our newest members of the team:

The Natural Resources Department is looking to hire a Natural Resource Fellow to join their team. The Natural Resource Fellow will oversee the development and implementation of the plan to address water quality and fisheries monitoring and management within the community.

Mason Hendricks made the Dean’s List for the Fall semester at UMASS Dartmouth. Mason is currently working on his bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a concentration in Social Work. Mason has maintained a 4.0 GPA, studying while taking care of his Daughter Giavanna Francis.

Cedric Cromwell and an architect hired to manage several construction projects must reimburse the tribe for over $200,000 in legal bills it paid to respond to the government’s bribery investigation, a Boston federal judge said last month.

Registration for Mashpee Preschool, PreK, and Kindergarten opens online on February 14th. These programs are offered at no cost to Mashpee families. For more information, please visit kcc.mpspk12.org/prekandk.

Lawrence “Junie” Hendricks Jr. “Swift Deer” graduated from the Building Pathways South Pre-Apprenticeship Laborers Union program. Building Pathways South (BPS) is a Pre-apprenticeship program with a mission of helping individuals gain entrance into registered bona fide apprenticeship programs, and ultimately, careers in the building trades.

Harvard University's Peabody Museum and Warren Anatomical Museum recently completed the legal process for repatriating the remains of 313 Native people from eastern Massachusetts to Wampanoag communities in Mashpee and Aquinnah. Harvard and other institutions are working on returning the remains of Native individuals from western and central Massachusetts.

The Education Department is taking tribal students on tours of various Tribal colleges in the Southwest. The trip will take place from April 17th – April 22nd. This opportunity is open to all Native American High School Junior and Senior students.