May Mittark
Herring Day Celebrated at Museum
While the herring were sparce, Honoring Our Herring Day on April 20 drew a large crowd of Wampanoag from Herring Pond and Mashpee to Aquinnah. The Mashpee Wampanoag Education Department, Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project and Wampanoag Indian Museum co-host the celebration each year.
River herring is an important traditional food source for our people. “We know, being Wampanoag people next to the river, we can look forward to our new year,” said Indian Education Coordinator Kitty Hendricks-Miller. “The benefit of Herring Day is that we teach our young people about the migration, traditional ways, and the importance of balance. This life cycle has to keep continuing for our estuaries and our people.”
At the annual celebration traditional leaders showed our youth how to catch and prepare herring and shared stories of past years. Lunch was also provided to all that attended.
Gone Fishin’: New Program Launched for Tribal Employees
The tribe is exploring a new program that will strengthen our aboriginal rights and give families more options to sustain themselves. If approved, Mashpee Wampanoag employees working for the tribe will be able to take time from their typical work hours to fish.
While employees will need to work with their department directors to approve times that do not conflict with productivity, this new program beginning on May 1 will provide the flexibility necessary to respond to the tides that bring the best probability for a good harvest.
In response to the town of Mashpee’s recently proposed shellfishing regulations, Tribal Administrator David Greendeer said that the best way to preserve the tribe’s aboriginal right is to exercise it more regularly.
Employees can ask for up to 2 hours per day that they may go fishing. The majority of the catch will go to the employee’s family however they will be required to also provide a portion to either the Food Pantry or directly to the Elders.
New Round of Covid-19 Financial Assistance: $1,750 for adults and $750 for kids
Tribal Council approved a third round of assistance payments for tribal members. The new round of assistance will provide $1,750 for each tribal member 18 and over and $750 for each tribal member under 18. Applications will begin to process May 1st (please be patient as it will take time for checks to be mailed out). The ARPA Act Assistance program will remain open through September 1st.
Most tribal members will receive these payments automatically. If you received a payment in 2020 from rounds one and/or two and your contact information has not changed, you will automatically receive a check. However, if your mailing address has changed, you will need to update this with the Tribe.
Explore Additional News in this month's Nashauonk Mittark
