Amelia Grace (Peters) Bingham died Monday, December 20, 2021, at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Plymouth at the age of 98. A beloved family matriarch and respected Elder of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, Amelia was the Clan Mother of the Turtle Clan. In addition to being an extraordinarily loving wife and mother amongst many other things, Amelia was a dedicated and fearless advocate for the preservation of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe historically, culturally, and politically.

Seaman Piper "Buzzy" Turner II, 79, of Mashpee, MA passed away peacefully at McCarthy Care Center in Sandwich on December 26, 2021. He was the beloved son of the late Harriet (Brown) and Seaman P. Turner.

Everett Peters, of Hyannis, passed away at Cape Cod Hospital on December 27, 2021, after a long battle with diabetes and renal failure. He was the beloved husband of the late Rebecca (Hoaglund) Peters.

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has several great employment opportunities. Jobs are posted to the Tribe’s Human Resources page on the website, and tribal members are encouraged to visit the site to review current openings.

Our featured jobs this month include:

• Communications Manager

• Health and Human Services Director

• Public Health Specialist

• Staff Accountant

• Victim Service Program Advocate

Send us news to share in the Mittark by emailing publicrelations@mwtribe-nsn.gov.

You may also enroll for electronic communication online at www.mittark.com.

The Mashpee Wampanoag Education Department has recently been awarded a New ARP-AIRE 3 year grant to continue to pursue addressing the education needs of native youth. Mashpee was 1 of the 15 selected, from a field of 45 applications submitted, for this highly competitive grant. The grant is authorized under Section 11006(1) of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

As a result of the current surge in Covid-19 cases, the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Health Service Unit (IHS) will now be open for tribal community wide COVID testing on a weekly basis, the COVID-19 testing capacity is now increased. The increased testing schedule is going on now through Friday, January, 28th 2022. Please see the schedule for available dates and times. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to ensure that our community remains safe while in the midst of the current increase in positive COVID cases.

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Emergency Management Department (MWTEMD) will be hosting the next Virtual Vaccine Town Hall Event with Subject Matter Experts from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). Doctors and Public Health Professionals from the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Health Service Unit (IHS) will also be available.

How easily does Omicron spread? The Omicron variant likely will spread more easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and how easily Omicron spreads compared to Delta remains unknown. CDC expects that anyone with Omicron infection can spread the virus to others, even if they are vaccinated or don’t have symptoms.

Toward the end of December 2021 in Barnstable County, an average of 184 cases per day were reported, a 45 % increase from the previous two-week average. Since the beginning of pandemic, at least 1 in 9 residents have been infected with a total of 23,663 reported cases in the county. The Test positivity rate for Barnstable County was 8.01% at the end of December an increase from 7.76% in the prior two-weeks. There was also an increase in positive cases within the tribal community over the month of December with 20 reported cases.

With the growing spread of Covid-19 and the new variants, it's more important than ever that you receive your initial vaccine or booster shot. The Mashpee Wampanoag Health Service Unit has all vaccines and booster shots available for anyone five years of age and older.

Please get in touch with the health office to schedule an appointment at 508-539-2561.

The Mashpee Wampanoag ICWA Department will once again host a series of Sacred Parenting workshops. Workshops will start on Monday, January 24 at 6 PM and continue through March 21. Receive $40 for each session you attend and a sacred parenting box with crafting supplies.

Starting Tuesday, January 25, the Mashpee Wampanoag Health Service Unit will have WIC. WIC is a special supplemental nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) that provides foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk.

Appointments will be available quarterly on the last Tuesday of each month from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. To make an appointment, call 508-771-7896 or email ccwic@healthimperatives.org.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is available for the 2021/2022 winter season. LIHEAP is designed to help eligible low-income households supplement part of their winter heating service bills.

For more information, or to pick up an application for the 2021 season please contact the Fuel Assistance Coordinator at (508) 477-0208 ext. 159. Applications are also available online at www.mittark.com