This year’s annual Native American Thanks Giving celebration was a time for reflection, togetherness, and gratitude. The service was hosted by the Old Indian Meeting House Committee at the Old Indian Museum, and welcomed tribal members and members from the greater community.

This is to inform you that the American Rescue Plan-American Indian Resilience in Education, or ARP-AIRE grant, officially ends on November 29, 2024. The services impacted include : Drivers Ed, Dual Enrollment, Tutoring (Mashpee only), and internships. Work on the traditional Wampanoag home site will continue until January/February.

On Saturday, November 23rd, Patricia “Trish” “Little Pine Needle” Keliinui was raised as the new Clan Mother of the Turtle Clan during a community gathering organized by members of the Peters family. 

The Elders will be hosting a Christmas Party on December 14th from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM at the Community and Government Center with food prepared by Chef Sherry Pocknett. Seats are limited to 200 spots, and spots are still available, so Elders who are interested in attending are asked to RSVP ASAP to save your seat.

Donations of cash or food offerings are greatly appreciated. Come and join us for great laughter and great company before the New Year!

Please join us at the Community and Government Center for an Information Fair. Each tribal department will host a table where you can learn about the current programs available to you and future programs that are being planned. Alongside the tribal departments, Indian Health Services, Smoke Sygnals, and Cape Cod Community College will also have information tables.

The Mashpee Wampanoag Community Development Corporation (MWCDC) will host a community meeting on Thursday, December 5th at 5:30 p.m. via zoom. The Corporation will resume hosting meetings to the tribal community twice a year As pursuant to the Mashpee Wampanoag Community Development Corporation’s Bylaws Section 3.6

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is designed to help eligible low-income households supplement part of their winter heating bill.

The TERO Office is certifying and re-certifying all TERO businesses and individuals on the hiring hall. TERO will be available to work with businesses on Monday, December 9th and Tuesday, December 10th from 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM. Individuals who would like to get (re)certified can do so all day on Thursday, December 12th.

Caton is the son of Carlton Hendricks III and Brooke Ayers. He is in the 4th grade and loves to go hunting and fishing with his family. According to Darius, Caton “lives and breathes” hunting, sets a good example to the other tribal boys, and shares his passion with them frequently, making him the perfect recipient of the bow. 

Tribal Elder Ramona Peters was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award last month from the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums (ATALM).

Join the Herring Pond Wampanoag for their first Food Sovereignty Workshop on Sunday, December 8, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM at Pinewoods Camp, Plymouth, in collaboration with Mass Wildlife and the Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation.

This hands-on workshop will focus on traditional skills and modern methods for sustainable food practices, offering participants the chance to reconnect with cultural traditions and gain practical, self-sufficiency skills.

The Project Architect will also serve as the Owner's Representative. They will be responsible for providing exceptional project leadership, will seek timely guidance and direction from the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Administrator and shall report to the same on a timely basis with the Tribal Historic Preservation Office offering additional preservation and cultural guidance.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Auxiliary #5489 participated in the Town of Mashpee’s Veterans Day commemoration, on November 11th , at Veteran’s Park. Founded on Sept. 29, 1899, the VFW is now celebrating its 125th anniversary. This all-Native, community and service-oriented Auxiliary works with the nearly half a million members alongside VFW for the betterment of the communities in which we live.

The annual kids Christmas shopping spree for tribal youth will be held on Tuesday, December 17th from 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM at the Community and Government Center. Items are $1 each, and children can get up to five items. Once children chose their items, there will be volunteers assisting them with wrapping. Hotdogs, drinks, and dessert will be provided to those in attendance.

On November 5th and 7th, the Education Department and the Native American Teacher Retention Grant (NATRI) provided a professional development workshop on the history of and issues in Native Education to teachers from various Cape school districts through the Cape Collaborative at Dennis-Yarmouth High School. 

The tribe has teamed up with the Community Action Committee of Cape Cod and Islands to do a Health Insurance Enrollment at the Community and Government Center once a month. There will be trained navigators to assist tribal members in one-on-one meetings with applying, shopping and enrolling in a health insurance program.

Zumba Gold will take place at the Community and Government Center starting November 5th and will continue every Tuesday from 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM. This is a low impact seated Zumba dance class that gently works your muscles and joints to improve flexibility and movement. All fitness levels are welcome.