On Friday, November 17, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Brian Weeden was elected and sworn in as the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) First Vice President. Chairman Weeden was selected for the national post by an electorate of more than 2,000 attendees representing Tribes across Indian Country at the NCAI 80th Annual Convention. He is the first Wampanoag to be elected to serve NCAI.
Elders Election Results
Historic Win for Tribe: Tribal Lands Secured for Generations
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe received welcome news this evening. The First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston has ruled in favor of our Tribe. Our tribal lands will continue to remain in trust for generations to come. Tribal citizens who are with us today and our ancestors who have carried the fight for our homeland forward generation after generation. Today, we can celebrate this historic decision.
Arson at Mashpee Parsonage - Public Assistance Needed
Tribe and DOI Defend our Land - Hear the Oral Arguments
Yesterday, oral arguments occurred in the Littlefield case at the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston. During this hearing, our Tribe and the U.S. Department of the Interior defended our land against the continued assault led by the Littlefields. We believe that truth, law and justice will win out, and that our reservation will be preserved.
Littlefield Oral Argument Tomorrow in Boston
As you may recall, the Littlefields continued their assault on our land by filing a lawsuit in Boston District Court in December of 2021. However, in February 2023, the Honorable District Court Judge Angel Kelly affirmed the Tribe’s reservation lands and ruled in favor of the Department of Interior and the Tribe. The Littlefields have since appealed Judge Kelly’s decision to the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Tomorrow, a panel of three Circuit Court Judges will hear the matter, with oral argument scheduled to begin at 9:30 AM.
