The tribe currently has various open committee seats

It is nearing the end of scholarship season, and application deadlines are quickly approaching. For tribal members interested in pursuing a Master’s Degree, there are over 30 scholarship opportunities

The Education Department is looking for those who may be interested in working with tribal youth. For further details, please contact Sassamin Weeden. All applicants must be able to pass a CORI check.

T.O.R is sponsoring a healing fire on Friday, April 28th from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM on powwow grounds. The event will have drumming and singing, food, giveaways, and Narcan training.

The tribe’s annual Herring Day will return on Tuesday, April 18th from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM at the Mashpee Indian Museum. All tribal members and their families are welcome to attend.

Last month tribal member Jacquelyn Quarles was awarded Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) from Capella University.

"A PARTY at the CROSSROADS: A Post-Modernist's Cabaret" is a work of adult-oriented storytelling theater with original soul, blues and jazz music; written and performed by Mwalim (with a little help from his friends) directed by The ZYG 808.

The 102nd annual Mashpee Wampanoag Powwow will be held on July 1st, 2nd, and 3rd this year. Dancers, drummers, vendors, and visitors will once again enjoy Powwow on our tribal reservation lands

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) held its Executive Council Winter Session from February 20th to 23rd, 2023. This annual event brought together tribal leaders, federal representatives, and representatives from sister tribes to discuss initiatives aimed at better supporting tribal nations. Councilman David Weeden represented the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe at the event.

The Native Land Conservancy (NLC) is offering a fellowship opportunity for Native American youth (18-25) with interest in a career in conservation. The program will support the fellow in developing their own project based in ecological research, wetland restoration, or land protection

Tribal members Robert Andrade, Buddy Pocknett, along with collaborator from the MIT SeaGrant Program Robert Vincent installed a herring camera at the Santuit Pond fish ladder!

The Mashpee Wampanoag received over 9 million dollars for a broadband infrastructure deployment project at the end of 2022. With this grant comes new job opportunities that the tribe is looking to fill with qualified tribal members. An OSHA 10 certification will be required for the positions.

As powwow season approaches there will be a running list of upcoming local powwows featured within the Mittark.

Sweat Studio in Falmouth will host “Punching for Ryan” on April 22 starting at 10:00 AM. Teams are two people per bag and $50 per team. The goal is to “keep the love going for 60 minutes, tapping out-in to your partner when you need a break”.

Tribal members Chyla Bingham Hendricks and Autaquay Peters-Mosquera are looking for Native youth in grades 5-8 to participate in a 19-week remote prevention program. The program will incorporate cultural lessons aiming to decrease substance misuse among Native middle school youth.

A couple years ago, chef Sherry Pocknett was driving through Charlestown, Rhode Island, after a ceremony at the Narragansett Indian Tribe reservation, looking for a gas station. She came across a small, red building at a fork in the road, surrounded mostly by woods and a few homes. A sign said the space was available for lease.

Tribal member Anaquhsees Pocknett is hosting The Taste of Mashpee, a way for community members to come together and enjoy traditional Wampanoag foods. This event was held years prior by the Mashpee Wampanoag Youth Council and will now return on April 30th from 12 – 4 PM at the Community and Government Center.

Wampanoag tribal members have been working on a play entitled “We Are The Land” that they will perform in Plymouth, England. A section of the play is dedicated to covering the events that took place during the infamous Woodlot Riot.

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

Last month, tribal youth attended the United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) 2023 Impact Week. The students spent time in Washington, D.C where they met with other youth from various tribes and discussed issues their communities are currently facing.

Mashpee’s Annual Town Meeting will take place on May 1st at 7 PM. An important issue on the table is the expansion of buffer zones and naturally vegetated buffer strips. Voting yes to increase buffer zones from 100 to 150 feet, and naturally vegetated buffer strips from 50 to 75 feet would provide a much-needed added protection to our waterways.

During the month of March, Emergency Management Department Assistant Allyssa Hathaway and AmeriCorps Team Leader Steven Johnson Gonsalves, Steven Costa and Kalela Rogers attended the 2023 FEMA Tribal Training Week in Anniston, AL. 

John P. Marcellino, a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and co-owner of The Station Grill in downtown Falmouth, is also a co-owner of Tradesman Exchange, a cannabis delivery company that received a provisional license from the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission earlier this month.

At the end of March, Tribal Councilman/ Emergency Management Director, Nelson Andrews Jr was an invitation guest as part of Tribal Perspectives panel during the U.S Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board 2023 Spring Board meeting.

The tribe continues to host Sacred Parenting Workshops for tribal families. April workshops will take place every Monday 4/3, 4/17, 4/24 (excluding 4/10) via Zoom from 6:00PM – 7:00PM. To sign up, please contact Maria Turner at maria.turner@mwtribe-nsn.gov or by phone at 508-477-0208 ext. 144.

The Pow Wow Committee is looking for Tribal Members to join the committee to plan the 102nd Annual Mashpee Wampanoag Pow Wow. Filling this committee is crucial to be able to host this year’s event.