Congratulations to our Mashpee Wampanoag high school and college graduates for the class of 2023!

Any graduates who were not noted should send their graduate information to Sassamin Weeden at sassamin.weeden@mwtribe-nsn.gov for recognition in next month’s edition.

On May 24th tribal council voted unanimously to establish an Old Indian Cemetery Commission. An initiative like this has been requested by tribal members for quite some time and is an important step in properly looking after the cemetery as the final resting place of our tribal loved ones and ancestors.

A group of Wampanoag youth in grades 3-6 are working on creating a traditional homesite exhibit at the Quashnet school under the guidance of tribal members Darius Coombs and Eleanor "Toodie" Coombs.

T.O.R and the 477 Department will be holding a car wash every Friday throughout June. Car washes are $10 for cars and $15 for trucks. All proceeds will go to the Powwow Committee to help with powwow expenses.

Appointments to town committees in Mashpee, and elections for committee leadership roles, show bias against the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, according to tribe members. Instances have occurred with the Community Preservation Committee, the Select Board and the School Committee, members said.

A Case Study was Published Between Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Emergency Management and the Center for Disease Control & Prevention Titled - The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe COVID-19 Pandemic Response: A Case Study.

When it was all but over Friday afternoon, Annawon Weeden stood next to a dwindling fire and could only think of good fortune, and the work done by a community of family and friends old and new, toward a singular goal.

Medicine Man Earl “Guy” Cash will hold the traditional Naming Ceremony for tribal members on Sunday, July 2nd starting at 6:30 AM at the Old Indian Meeting House. The Sly Fox Mishoon Race will also take place powwow weekend with prize money donated from the Native Land Conservancy.

The National Transportation Stakeholders Forum held their 2023 Annual Meeting in St. Louis, Missouri last month.  Emergency Management Director Nelson Andrews Jr, is a member of the Tribal Radioactive Transportation Executive Committee who also had a meeting during this year’s forum. 

Community dance classes began last month and will continue throughout the month of June. Classes are held Sundays from 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM on Powwow Grounds, excluding Sundays where there is a General Membership Meeting, or a holiday is being observed.

T.O.R is hosting a community Healing Fire with a focus on mental health awareness on June 9th from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM on Powwow Grounds. Tribal members are encouraged to attend with their families for a night of kickball, food, and fun.

Be ready for hurricane season. Take action TODAY to be better prepared for when the worst happens. Understand your risk from hurricanes, and begin pre-season preparations now. Make sure you understand how to interpret forecasts and alerts, and know what to do before, during, and after a storm.

Tribal member Dasia Peters has been selected to participate in the 2023 Native Youth Grantmakers program organized through Native Americans in Philanthropy. The program is designed for Indigenous youth ages 18-24 who are connected to their community (urban, rural, or reservation) and want to grow their leadership skills, advocate for Native youth and youth programs, and learn more about the philanthropic sector.

Spaces are now available for students for the 2023-2024 school year in both Mukayuhsak Weekuw (age 2.9 kindergarten) and Wushkeenune8ak Weekuw (ages 6-9, grades 1-3). Applications can be found on the school’s parent portal Transparent Classroom. For more information, please email Nitana Hicks Greendeer at Nitana.greendeer@mwtribe-nsn.gov.

A monument in Mashpee will be dedicated to all 252 men and women from Mashpee who served in all our nation’s wars from the Revolutionary War to Vietnam, including the names of 21 who never returned, giving the ultimate sacrifice. It is believed that this will be the only monument in the country that will contain the actual names of Native-Americans from one town that fought and sacrificed in all of America’s wars.

The Wellfleet Historical Society is hosting various Wampanoag-centered events throughout the summer months. For more information, please visit www.wellfleethistoricalsociety.org

The Weetumuw School is hosting an end of year celebration to honor the hard work of all within the school community. The celebration will take place on Friday, June 16th beginning at 10:30 AM on Powwow Grounds.

The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) will host a Community Yard Sale and Cookout for elder abuse awareness on June 17th from 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM.