Wunee keesuq! Nutus8ees Jenaya “Precious Healing Star” Perry. Good Day! My name is Jenaya Perry, and I am the 2023-2024 Mashpee Wampanoag Powwow Princess! I am the daughter of Steven Perry and Tina Gomes. I am the sister of Devon Gomes and Nitana Perry. The granddaughter of Marlene and Steven Perry. The great-granddaughter of Lucinda Hicks Lashley and Ed Lashley and the great-great-granddaughter of Amanda Stella Gardner Hicks and Lafayette Hicks Sr.

I am now 21 years old, I have worked at the Boys and Girls Club of Cape Cod for 6 years, and I have decided to return back to school after taking the semester off to follow my passion of being an elementary school teacher!

When I was just a little girl I learned about the princess of our tribe, I learned what it meant to be the princess and how important the role was. It immediately became my dream, I worked my entire life to become the kind of person that would one day be the Mashpee Wampanoag Pow Wow Princess. It was an absolute honor to have been able to hold the title. The moment I was crowned will be one that I will forever cherish.

Throughout my reign I have represented our tribe at many powwows from Massachusetts all the way down to Florida, I went to multiple schools on Cape Cod and danced to educate the students, I attended lunches at both Mashpee elementary schools, attending events hosted by multiple eastern tribes, I raised money and awareness for Suicide prevention and child burn victims, and much more.

This last year of being the Mashpee Wampanoag Pow Wow princess has been an absolute dream come true! I would like to thank my family and friends for being there and supporting me from being runner-up in 2019 to being crowned in 2023. I would also like to thank my tribe for entrusting me with such an honor, I will forever be so grateful for this opportunity and I hope I made you all proud.

Jenaya Perry
Mashpee Wampanoag Powwow Princess
2023-2024