Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Receives Federal Approval for Tribal Historic Preservation Program
National Park Service agreement formally recognizes the Tribe's preservation authority on Tribal lands and David Weeden as Tribal Historic Preservation Officer
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has received important news from the National Park Service recognizing our Tribe's longstanding work to protect our history, culture, and sacred places.
On July 24, 2026, the Director of the National Park Service signed an agreement with the Tribe allowing it to formally assume certain Historic Preservation Officer responsibilities on Tribal lands in Massachusetts.
This is a major milestone, but the work did not begin this year. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Historic Preservation Department was established in 2012.
“This approval reaffirms the work our Tribe has been doing for generations to protect our history, sacred places, and cultural resources,” said David Weeden, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. “It gives our Tribe a stronger voice and formally acknowledges the government-to-government trust responsibilities and re-affirms the Tribal Consultation requirements within decision making procedures that affect our homelands in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) 54 U.S.C. §306108.”
The new agreement also recognizes the sovereignty and jurisdictional authorities of the Tribe relative to Section 110 (54 U.S.C. §306101, et seq. of the NHPA requirements to that work. Under the agreement, the Tribe now assumes responsibility for reviewing federal undertakings on Tribal lands under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, along with the other Historic Preservation Officer functions identified in the law. This is important because when a federal project, permit, funding decision, or approval could affect historic or culturally important places on Tribal lands, the Mashpee Wampanoag will have the formal responsibility to review those potential effects and help make sure our history and cultural resources are considered and protected.
With this approval, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe becomes the 236th Indian Tribe to assume historic preservation duties that were previously the responsibility of a State Historic Preservation Officer on Tribal lands. This strengthens the Tribe's ability to make preservation decisions through our own government, guided by our own cultural knowledge, consistent with preservation priorities, moral and cultural responsibilities to future generations.
The approval also creates new opportunities for the program. The Tribe is now eligible to apply for annual Tribal Historic Preservation Office funding through the National Park Service's Historic Preservation Fund. These funds can help support preservation staff, cultural resource surveys, federal review and compliance work, preservation planning, educational programs, and other activities that protect Tribal historic and cultural resources. Additionally, the Tribe is also now eligible for full membership in the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, a national organization that supports Tribal preservation programs and advocates for Tribal voices in preservation policy and funding.
The Tribe would like to thank the preservation partners who participated in the review and approval of the Tribal Historic Preservation Program plan. Their time, guidance, and cooperation helped the Tribe reach this important step.
This agreement recognizes work that has been underway for many years and begins a new chapter for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Historic Preservation Department. Most importantly, it helps ensure that decisions affecting our homelands, historic places, and cultural resources continue to be guided by the Mashpee Wampanoag people and protected for the generations still to come.
