On November 24 the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) hosted a catered social as a community give-back for tribal members participation in a truly unique exhibit, Indigenous Photographic Exchange. Photographer Will Wilson took tintype portraits of tribal members using the historic wet plate collodion process. Tribal members received the wetplate image in exchange for granting Wilson permission to use their portrait in future exhibits.

Marlene Lopez, a Mashpee Wampanoag elder and Rabbit Clan mother carries on practices like finger weaving, used for centuries.

Last month she gave a demonstration of the practice at the Great Falls Discovery Center in Turners Falls, Massachusetts.

Saturday ~ December 7th, 2019
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Council Member Carlton Hendricks has organized co-ed youth basketball for tribal kids grades 3 – 6. Signup for basketball will be on Saturday, Jan 11 at 9:00 AM for youth in grades 3-4 and at 10:30 AM for youth in grades 5-6.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Flag is insulting, demoralizing and of the utmost disrespect to Indigenous people. Too many of our ancestors have died and left Mother Earth with broken hearts after they saw this flag’s depiction of a sword over Native American head left flying in the wind, on state cars, on various decals for sale, letters and television.  We all have choked back tears from time to time and still do Its long overdue and time to change so the tears and heartaches can stop.

Another Successful Native American Thanks Giving was held on Saturday, November 23. The Old Indian Meeting House Committee hosted a beautiful service at the church with a full house consisting of Tribal families and many guest from the Mashpee Community. Our guests brought several yummy dishes to the luncheon.

Work began last month on the National Mall to establish a long-sought memorial recognizing the military service of Native Americans – service that many in the United States remain unaware of, according to leaders of the project.

Aunt Joan Avant Tavares has opened up her archives to share some seasonal recipes that include cranberries. Below is a short story from Aunt Joan about the cranberry. You can also visit www.mittark.com for the full article and to print out the many recipes that she has shared with her Tribe.

Beginning in the early part of February this year, the Tribal Emergency Management Department embarked on a new journey to launch the first and only Tribal AmeriCorps program on the Eastern half of the United States.

On November, 25th 2019 the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Emergency Management Department hosted an end of year multiagency emergency preparedness Tabletop Exercise (TTX) held at the MWT Community and Government Center which was facilitated by the Horsley Witten Group.  The Tabletop Exercise was based on a hypothetical incident designed to bring together Tribal departments and Indian Health Services as well as local, county and state public safety agencies to discuss roles and responsibilities during an incident affecting the Tribe.  While the scenario focused on Tribal situations and facilities, the lessons learned were applicable to other Cape communities.

Junie “Swift Deer” Hendricks made honor roll for first term. He is a sophomore at Wareham High School. Junie is the son of Jody Santagate and Larry Hendricks of Wareham. The great grandson of Francis Cash Hendricks of East Falmouth and the grandson of the late Lawrence Hendricks III.

“Our” Story: 400 Years of Wampanoag History, an educational and cultural exhibit about the history and traditions of the Wampanoag tribe, unveiled a new chapter “Tisquantum Returns” last month. The new chapter was officially unveiled at the Tantaquidgeon Museum in Uncasville, Connecticut. The new section features three panels and a 7-minute video depicting Tisquantum’s (known as Squanto) return to the Patuxet village shortly after the Great Dying of 1616-1619.

Janet Grace (Hines) Johnson was born on October 30th, 1948 to the late Frederick Shaw Hines, Sr. and Bertha Elizabeth Hines, in Louisville, Ky. Two days shy of her 71st birthday, Janet passed away on October 28th, 2019, surrounded by her loving family at the Rolling Hills Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center in New Albany, IN. After a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease, God saw best that it was time for Janet to rest in eternal peace. Janet was a life-long member of Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ where she served in several ministries during her early adult life.

Co-Ed Volleyball has returned to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Community and Government Center Gymnasium. Tuesdays from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. you can join family and friends for spirited games.

Co-Ed Volleyball was initiated by the MWT Tribal Health Department in 2012 to provide a fun, healthy activity for community members of all ages. After many years of strong attendance, participation began to dwindle. Thankfully, the success of the beach volleyball has re-ignited interest and indoor volleyball has returned.

A special info session on the grant programs offered by the Cultural Facilities Fund was held at the Old Indian Meeting House on Friday, November 8. The info session will be lead by Mass Cultural Council staff Jay Paget and Miranda Cook. For more information, please contact Miranda Cook at miranda.cook@art.state.ma.us.

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Food Pantry in Mashpee, Massachusetts provides fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthy food options for income-eligible Tribal members. The Food Pantry hosts "tastings" of recipes made with healthy Food Pantry items so that food-insecure families have an engaging and nutritious experience while picking up pantry supplies for their household.

As we all know, it takes a lot of time, dedication and hard work to make our homecoming successful. We are soliciting respected members of the community to help with carrying out duties prior to, during and after the Powwow. Letters of interest can be sent to Cassie Jackson at cassie.jackson@mwtribe-nsn.gov or mailed to Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Powwow Committee, 483 Great Neck Road South, Mashpee, MA 02649.

There are several open positions at the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. As of the date of publication the following positions are open. Please visit the Human Resource section of the Tribe’s website for complete position descriptions and details for applicants.