12 different tribal nations from the Nuclear Energy Tribal Working Group (NETWG), as well as reps from the Department of Energy, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and the National Conference of State Legislatures spent two days touring Mashpee and the surrounding service area last month. The group toured the Plymouth Nuclear Power Plant and parts of the Tribe’s ancestral homelands in Mashpee during the two-day meeting.

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is a member of NETWG. Nelson Andrews Jr., emergency management department director, took the lead on facilitating the meeting. “The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station is within our service area and something we want to keep a very close eye on,” said Andrews. “It’s particularly important that we understand the short- and long-term impacts of the planned decommissioning of the power plant and how this will impact our homelands.”

NETWG is a chartered working group focused on engaging tribal governments interested in the broad spectrum of Department Energy nuclear energy activities. Nelson sees this as a vital group that can represent tribal needs at the highest level.

The mission of NETWG is to engage federally-recognized tribal governments and their designated representatives in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) activities. NETWG will serve as a conduit to foster communication, education of all generations, and promote active involvement of tribal governments. NETWG is dedicated to assisting in developing and maintaining the government-to-government relationship between DOE and Indian Tribes, consistent with DOE’s American Indian Policy.