June 2021 Mittark
100th Homecoming: Social to be Held July 3 at Pawâw Grounds
We are pleased to announce our 100th Annual Homecoming. The time has finally come to be together as family, cleanse our spirts and honor our Creator, ancestors, lands, waters, traditions & culture.
A social will be held at the Tribe’s Pawâw Grounds on Saturday, July 3 from sunrise to sunset.
Social songs and dances, old Mashpee story telling, foot race thru 55 acres, bean supper and refreshments will be served. There’s no contests and no cash prizes, just unity.
For more information, contact chairwoman Winona Hendricks at (774) 521-5029.
Our Circle
It’s an honor to serve my people as Chairman. I want to thank our tribal nation for taking the time to vote. I also want to thank all of the candidates that were willing to put our Tribe first and run for office. At the end of the day, we are all Mashpee and our strength comes from our circle.
Our new administration will be making many changes over the coming weeks, including how news and information is shared with our nation. We will bring back many of our traditional ways, seek guidance from our elders and honor our culture in governance.
That’s why this space in the Mittark will no longer be a place for a chairman’s column. I am not the Tribe and do not feel anyone should be put above the community. It’s only through a free and open forum that we can listen to the needs of the community and serve those needs with honor.
Going forward, this space will be called “Our Circle” providing an opportunity for tribal council members, clan mothers and spiritual leaders to voice the issues that are most pressing. Giving a place for myself and others to listen.
It’s an immediate goal of our new administration to earn and restore trust in our tribal office. We’ll do this by focusing on unity, healing, culture and traditions. You will see this in everything that we do. We’ll also ensure the practice of unity is maintained by focusing on our youth and providing them opportunities to grow.
Ahapây (Humbly),
Chairman Brian Weeden
Tribe Elects New Slate of Officers and Makes History
661 tribal members cast their ballot in the Tribe’s general election on May 16. In the process, the Tribe elected a full slate of new officers and made Brian Weeden the youngest Chairman in Tribal history. In addition to the new slate of officers, council member David Weeden was reelected.
The newly elected council was sworn in on May 23 at the Old Indian Meeting House. Rabbit Clan Mother Marlene Lopez issued the oath to Chairman Weeden. Chairman Weeden then followed by issuing the oath to each elected official. Chairman Weeden presented each elected official with an eagle feather.
The newly elected Chairman has committed himself and the new administration to restoring unity and trust in tribal government. “We need to get back to our traditional ways,” said Chairman Weeden.
Explore Additional News in this month's Nashauonk Mittark
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribes Clan Mothers invite Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Members (female or male) who would be interested in the position of Traditional Tribal Chief to sit with clan mothers to discuss the responsibilities of that position. The clan mothers will hold council 10:30 am every Sunday until Saturday July 3rd 2021 at our sacred circle located behind the community and government center.
A General Membership Meeting has been set for the second Sunday in June. At the meeting nomination papers for the special election will be made available. The special election will fill the seats that were vacated with the election of Chairman Weeden and Vice Chairman Hendricks. The June 13 General Membership Meeting will be held outdoors from 2PM to 4PM at the Tribe’s Pawâw Grounds (483 Great Neck Road South, Mashpee).
Applications for a new youth internship program for tribal youth ages 13 – 18 are now open. The internship program, spearheaded by Chairman Weeden, will provide tribal youth an opportunity to experience various areas of tribal operations and governance and select an area of interest.
The internship program will begin June 28 and run through August. Chairman Weeden is hopeful that a stipend will be available for the program and will include additional details as we get closer to the program start.
The MWT Resilient Comeback Re-entry Plan has been established through the MWT Emergency Management Department in a phased approach. The next Phase 4 (new normal) is now possible as the county positivity rate has been under 2.5% for over a 14 day period.
In an effort to keep our tribal community safe the following protocols are in place to continue in protecting the health and welfare of everyone.
You may submit your grad info to Cameron Greendeer at Cameron.Greendeer@mwtribe-nsn.gov for inclusion next month.
When our Indian Child Welfare Dept. (ICWA) receives calls from The State (better known as DCF) concerning the removal(s) of our Tribal Children from their homes, Our Dept. must have a tribal home to place them in. If we do not have a tribal home for our children once they are removed the State will then place our tribal child/or children in a non-Tribal placement/home.
Darius Coombs was recently nominated and chosen to the 2021 recipient of the Bay State Legacy Award. Darius was chosen for his many years of work to advance the history of indigenous people and diverse culture in Massachusetts.
Darius will be presented the award during the online Massachusetts History Conference on June 7. The award ceremony will take place from 5-6 PM.
Tribal youth in grades 5-8 are invited to come learn with Darius Coombs (cultural educator and tribal member) how to make a muhsh8n from a 12 foot pine log the way our ancestors did using fire as the main tool.
When the boat is finished, picture us paddling our muhsh8n on Mashpee Pond.
We will celebrate with friends and families with a clambake that we will prepare under the guidance of the Culture Keepers.
Native Youth entering the 5th grade through 8th grade are invited to attend the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Natural Resources and Education Departments Summer Youth Environmental Science Camp being held July 6th to July 29th. The Native Youth in Science Preserving Our Homeland camp will be held Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Contracted services are needed for Traditional Wampanoag Lunches 30-35 people, 3 days per week Tuesday through Thursday, from July 6th through July 29th. Meals may have to be served at different locations, including off-Cape locales.
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe POH summer camp, which will run 4 weeks for tribal youth entering Grades 5 through 8, is seeking an energetic, accountable Jr. Camp Counselor to provide a safe, fun and memorable experience for our campers. The Jr. Camp Counselor will be responsible for an assigned group of 8-10 campers for the duration of camp. Duties include overseeing transitions to and from scheduled events and lessons, facilitating and participating in group activities, supporting staff requests, and being able to process minor paperwork. The ideal candidate will be an excellent multitasker with a genuine passion for working with and empowering young people. Applicants should be patient, attentive and respectful, and have a positive attitude towards both science and Wampanoag traditions. Tribal youth with past POH Camp experience are encouraged to apply.
Are you interested in a position driving a school bus in Falmouth or Mashpee? If so, please contact employment and training program manager Marnell Cash at Marnell.Cash@mwtribe-nsn.gov or at 508-477-0208 ext 161.
In June Lunch & Learn rolled out Curbside meal service to provide Nutritional meals service to our tribal elders on Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 12PM and 2PM. On these dates elders please call the front desk 508-477-0208 EXT 192 and security will notify the cater to bring your meal up at the front door at the 483 Great Neck Road South at the Community and Government Center.
The most Current USET Report indicates that the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is currently at 28.4% fully vaccinated while USET reports that the state of Massachusetts is currently at 47.3% fully vaccinated. We strongly encourage anyone that is eligible for vaccination to call IHS at 508-539-2561 to schedule an appointment at the soonest. Mashpee IHS is now vaccinating Tribe and family members, age 12 and up.
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Housing Department and Commissioner’s would like to announce the delay in the construction schedule at Mashpee Wampanoag Village Limited Partnership, dba First Light Wampanoag Homes. We realize the delay in the construction schedule has caused an impact to the anticipated tenants and ask for your patience while we work through significant factors causing the delay. The cause of the delay must be mitigated with our General Contractor to ensure that units are delivered to our tribal members as specified.
WLRP will hold Summer Turtle at the Mashpee Middle & High School with activities from 1-4:30pm July 6-8 and July 20-August 12.
The Tue-Thu afternoon programming will be led by Sânushq Toodie and other WLRP teachers for up to 24 students ages 5-12. Registration will be available June 7-30 online at wlrp.org on our Event page: wlrp.org/class-event-schedule
Visit wlrp.org/lanuage-immersion to fill out a Registration Form for your child. All current students and families are being offered re-enrollment slots, so space is limited in the Wushkeenune8ak Weekuw elementary classrooms serving Grades 1-4.
WLRP's team has grown in the past year to include several new team members to support our language teachers and programs. Maria Turner joined WLRP as School Wellness Counselor last fall, and Tracy Kelly returned as a language teacher after completing her masters degree in linguistics at MIT. Autumn Jackson, our former MMHS intern, returned to the Weetumuw School's Mukayuhsak Weekuw preschool and kindergarten classroom as a teacher trainee.
Visit WLRP's school gardener Melanie Roderick at Maushop Farm on Friday afternoon, June 4th from 1-4pm for free veggie seedlings like tomatoes & peppers grown through our NDN Collective-funded food sovereignty project, Kutahsamômun Musunune8ak, feeding the people.
A second plant giveaway will be held Thursday, June 10th at the MWT Community & Government Center 11am-2pm.
What year did the Mashpee Wampanoag’s get Federal Recognition?
How many enrolled Tribal members do we have as of January 2021?
List of Committee and Board Seat Openings
The Youth Advisory Committee is looking for interested Tribal Members to join the Youth Advisory Committee to help support all youth activities and functions in our Tribe. If you are interested in helping our young citizens please send a letter of interest to Tribal Council Secretary AnnMarie Askew at AnnMarie.Askew@mwtribe-nsn.gov or contact Co-Liaison Councilwoman Winnie Johnson-Graham at Edwina.graham@mwtribe-nsn.gov or at (508) 645-8365.
The Pow Wow Committee is looking for Tribal Members to join the Committee for a 2year term to plan the 99th and 100th Annual Mashpee Wampanoag Pow Wow. If you are interested please send a letter of interest to Tribal Council Secretary Ann Marie Askew AnnMarie.Askew@mwtribe-nsn.gov or for more information contact Co-Liaison Councilman Brian Weeden at (774)413-0520.
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe currently has an open seat on its Enrollment Committee. One of the most important responsibilities of the Enrollment Committee is to review enrollment applications. Please visit the Tribal website at https://mashpeewampanoagtribe-nsn.gov/enrollment to review the Enrollment Ordinance.
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe currently has two open seats on its Housing Commission. The Housing Commission is tasked with policy-level goals, determinations and policy review that guide the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Housing Department.