After the 99th Annual Powwow was postponed due to the initial outbreak of covid-19 and the 100th Annual Powwow was held as a traditional social, the 101st Annual Powwow will return to Mashpee on July 1, 2 and 3. The theme for this year is “Honoring the Four Directions.”

Connecting tribal members with the various services the Tribe, individual tribal members, and the surrounding community offer is often a major stumbling block. It was an obstacle that Councilman Domingo Tiexeira wanted to remove for tribal members looking to begin a career in the trades.

Councilman Tiexeira, a local 385 union foreman, sees an excellent opportunity for the Tribe in union trades. “Our people are smart, talented, and have a solid work ethic,” said Councilman Tiexeira. “We just needed to help make the right connections and give a nudge into the right programs. That’s all we had to do. They will do the rest and have a great career ahead of them.”

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 5th to July 28th. 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.

The new member portal on the website to go live in May. Tribal members that have requested access to the site will begin receiving emails mid-May with login instructions.

Once logged in, tribal members will have access to documents and forms that are only for tribal citizens.

The Education Department will be hosting an education and career fair on June 7 from 5:00 – 7:00 PM at the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Community and Government Center. The Adult Education and Career Night will include prospective employers and educational program vendors from the surrounding area.

Amelia Grace Peters Bingham (Seaweed), a Clan Mother to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, made her journey to join her Ancestors on December 20, 2021.

There will be a tribute and Celebration of Life to honor Seaweed in Mashpee at the Old Meeting House on Rt 28 on July 1, 2022, at 10:30 am.

Last month tribal citizen Stephanie Coleman was appointed by the Town of Mashpee Selectmen to the town’s Housing Commission. Stephanie filled the seat that Tribal Council Secretary Cassie Jackson previously held. Filling municipal board and committee seats is an excellent way to ensure the Tribe’s traditions, cultures, and values are present when decisions are made. Thank you, and congratulations, Stephanie.

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is soliciting interested Tribal members to contribute and assist in facilitating the "Moshup's Bridge Ethnographic Study" towards the nomination of the property as a Traditional Cultural Property (TCP) under the National Park Service's Historic Preservation Program.

Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, Brian Weeden, has been recognized by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development with the 40 Under 40 Award. Chairman Weeden will be officially recognized on May 25 during a reception in Las Vegas.

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe AmeriCorps Program is now recruiting for the 2022 program year. The 2022 program is open to six tribal members over the age of 18 and 1 tribal member that will serve as a team leader. Applications are being accepted now through June 30 with an expected start date of mid-July.

AmeriCorps provides you with valuable life experience and skill development while you serve on a team, earn money for college, and help your Tribal community while receiving a weekly pay stipend!

The Old Indian Meeting House Committee is pleased to announce the events planned for 2022.

Blind Joe Amos Sunday Service – Sunday, July 17 at 11:00 a.m. at the Old Indian Meeting House. The annual service is held in partnership with the Mashpee Baptist Church and citizens of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.

The Old Indian Meeting House Committee is seeking new committee members and volunteers available to help with events. If you are willing to volunteer at events or would like to be considered for the committee, please contact David Weeden at (508) 477-0208 ext 102 or email David.weeden@mwtribe-nsn.gov.

The Indian Health Services (IHS) Sanitation Program administered by the Tribe’s Housing Department recently completed a large water project for the tribal families on Emma Oakley Mills Way. For years the homes on Emma Oakley Mills Way, all tribal members, have been fighting unsafe water from the wells.

The Mashpee Wampanoag Community Development Corporation will host free, virtual business training workshops on June 8 and 9. Workshops will be held online from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day and will be run in partnership with Empowerment Workshops.

On April 25, 2022, during the MWTC Emergency Meeting, the resolution 2022-RES-027 Emergency Approval of Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Government Code of Conduct was passed with the majority in favor and one opposition. The resolution will create an Ethics Office that will be comprised of an Ethics Officer designated by the Tribal Council. The Ethics Officer will report to the Tribal Council.

The Powwow Committee is looking for Tribal Members to join the Committee. If you are interested, please send a letter of interest to Tribal Council Secretary Cassie Jackson at cassie.jackson@mwtribe-nsn.gov.

The COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance program will provide rental assistance to tribal households at or below 80% of the area median income. Funding of this program is per the federal CARES Act Relief Fund and is non-taxable as a Tribal general welfare assistance program and federal disaster relief.

This program is first-come, first-served while funding is available.

Last month, with the help of the Tribe’s lobbying team, our Tribe successfully secured approval of two amendments in the Climate Bill approved by the Senate. Senator Cyr led the charge on behalf of Mashpee with the support of Senators Rodriques, Moran, and Pacheco.

The first amendment added Federally Recognized Tribes to those groups that were specifically eligible to benefit from certain economic development tools, policies, and programs in green and alternative energy.

At the end of April, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe successfully secured language in the Senate Ways and Means Committee version of the sports betting bill, ensuring that our Compact with the Commonwealth will be honored. The language memorializes in the sports betting bill that our Tribe will have an undeniable right to offer sports betting on par with other gaming facilities. We are grateful for the leadership and support of Senators Cyr, Rodriguez, Lesser, Moran, Pacheco, Crighton, and O'Connor.