Wampanoag Communities Invited to Provide Input on Boston Monument Design

Tribal members and families of the Mashpee, Aquinnah, and Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribes are invited to a community unveiling and feedback session for the White Pine Gathering Circle, a Wampanoag-designed monument proposed for Boston. The first presentation will be held Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 5:00 PM at the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe Meeting House at 128 Herring Pond Road in Plymouth, just before the Tribe's regularly scheduled Cultural Night.

The monument has been developed through a community-driven process led by the Wampanoag Consulting Alliance. Tribal representatives have worked together through workshops, advisory committee meetings, and design reviews to define what an Indigenous monument should represent and how it should serve future generations. The selected concept reflects the Creation Story, Wampanoag relationships to land and water, and the desire for a lasting place of gathering, teaching, reflection, and intertribal connection.

The August 20 gathering will be the first opportunity for the broader Tribal community to see the selected design. The presentation will share the story behind the monument, explain how the concept evolved, introduce its proposed features, and describe the vision for locating it in Boston. Participants will be invited to ask questions and provide feedback before the design returns to the advisory committee for final review.

After the two August meetings, the advisory committee will consider all community comments and determine whether additional refinements are needed. SmokeSygnals, the Native American production company leading the monument design, will make any changes directed by the committee before the concept is publicly unveiled in Boston. Food will be provided, and door prizes will feature artwork by Wampanoag artists Hartman Deetz and Ryan Derby. Those unable to attend in Bournedale may join the August 27 session in Aquinnah.

Community Meeting Details

Primary gathering: Thursday, August 20, 2026 at 5:00 PM, Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe Meeting House, Bournedale, Massachusetts. Held just before Herring Pond Cultural Night.

Additional gathering: Thursday, August 27, 2026 at 5:00 PM, Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe Meeting Facility, Aquinnah, Martha's Vineyard.

This work is made possible by the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture's Un-monument initiative, supported by a grant from the Mellon Foundation.