The Harvard Crimson: Making Sense of the Crisis Within a Crisis

The Harvard Crimson: Making Sense of the Crisis Within a Crisis

When he received the phone call from the Bureau of Indian Affairs at 4 p.m. on Friday, March 27, Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Cedric Cromwell had been hoping for good news.

The Tribe had been dealing with the ongoing pandemic: A week prior to the call, he declared a state of emergency for the Mashpee Wampanoag tribal nation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools were shut down, public buildings were closed, and he and the rest of the tribal council were scrambling to gather the resources their people would need to weather the crisis.

How Mashpee Rose to the Challenge of a Pandemic

As the Covid-19 pandemic swept through the country leaving cities, towns and many tribal governments scrambling to adjust and acquire needed resources, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe activated its Emergency Plan. This plan allowed the tribe to jump to the front of the line for needed PPE resources to support the tribal community and Mashpee Indian Health Services with test kits, while others were still trying to define their needs. It’s also allowed the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe to provide needed support to neighboring tribes, including Emergency Management Director Nelson Andrews personally delivering essential supplies to the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe.

Attend Indian Education Grant Public Hearing on May 4

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribes Indian Education Program invites you to attend a Public Hearing for the DOE Title VI Indian Education 2020-21 grant application on Tuesday, May 4 from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the public hearing will be held remotely on Zoom. The public hearing is an informational opportunity for parents of Native American students attending and educators working in the Barnstable, Falmouth, Sandwich, Wareham, and New Bedford public school districts.

Offshore Wind Class Offered Virtually at Cape Cod Community College

Offshore Wind Class Offered Virtually at Cape Cod Community College

Offshore Wind 101 is a 1 hour non-credit course offered by Cape Cod Community College that will be offered virtually on May 14th, 2020 from 10am-11am, and from 7pm-8pm. In a Zoom presentation led by 4Cs Instructor Chris Powicki, participants will learn about the offshore wind industry, and gain an overview of its history, technology, regulations, growth projections. He will also discuss the Offshore Wind and renewable energy careers and training pathways that exist and are being developed in our region. To register call Employment and Training Program Manager Marnell Cash at 508-477-0208 ext. 161 or email marnell.cash@mwtribe-nsn.gov.

Massachusetts Lawmakers Fight for COVID-19 Emergency Assistance for Mashpee and Aquinnah Tribes

Massachusetts Lawmakers Fight for COVID-19 Emergency Assistance for Mashpee and Aquinnah Tribes

United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), along with Representatives William Keating (D-MA-09), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA-08), Katherine Clark (D-MA-05), Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), Joseph P. Kennedy III (D-MA-04), James P. McGovern (D-MA-02), Richard E. Neal (D-MA-01), Seth Moulton (D-MA-06), and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) sent a letter to President Trump requesting that he direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to waive the traditional cost-share requirements for all COVID-19-related assistance for the Commonwealth's two federally recognized tribal nations, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.

Featured Job Posting: Water Resources Technician

Under general supervision of the Director for the Natural Resources Department (NRD); the Water Resources Technician will oversee the development and implementation of the plan to address water quality within the community. The Water Resources Technician will provide a high level of technical, analytical, statistical, and research methods in preparing reports. The Water Resources Technician will perform field and laboratory operation to assist in implementing the existing surface water monitoring programs.

Smithsonian to Honor Native Veterans

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) is proud to build a National Native American Veterans Memorial to recognize the service of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian veterans in every branch of the United States of Armed Forces. As commissioned by Congress, the memorial will be built on the grounds of the museum just off the National Mall. The memorial designer, Harvey Pratt, is a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. A Marine Corps veteran, Pratt is one of 42,000 Native Americans who served in the Vietnam War.

Supplemental Security Income Recipients, Act Now for Child Payment

“Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients who don’t file tax returns will start receiving their automatic Economic Impact Payments directly from the Treasury Department in early May. People receiving SSI benefits who did not file 2018 or 2019 taxes, and have qualifying children under age 17, however, should not wait for their automatic $1,200 individual payment. They should immediately go to the IRS’s webpage at www.irs.gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-payment-info-here and visit the Non-Filers: Enter Your Information section to provide their information. SSI recipients who have dependent children and did not file 2018 or 2019 taxes need to act by Tuesday, May 5, in order to receive additional payments for their eligible children quickly.

Tribal Court: How Does Assault Affect Us?

Assault victims may face extensive physical, emotional, and financial consequences. Assault victims may have been seriously or permanently injured. Even if they were not injured, they have faced the possibility of death and fears of leaving behind loved ones. These fears and the potential physical aspects of the assault may have a significant immediate and long-term emotional impact on assault victims. And just as everyone reacts to a crisis differently, not everyone copes with the impact of a crisis in the same way or within the same timeframe.