Smoke rose from a white pine log along the New Bedford waterfront in October as Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal citizens Hartman Deetz and Annawon Weeden worked to build a mishoonat the Community Boating Center. Their work was part of a week of cultural activities surrounding the city's inaugural New Bedford Powwow on October 24.

Beginning October 19, Hartman and Annawon used a method our people have practiced for generations: carefully burning the inside of a log and scraping away the charred wood, little by little, until a canoe takes shape. The white pine log measured about 20 feet long and weighed roughly four tons when it arrived. The fire needed constant attention, while water helped protect the outside of the wood from cracking during the burn.

Fifty years after our Tribe went to federal court to fight for our ancestral homeland, The Mashpee Enterprise is revisiting the 1976 land suit in a special collection titled “Enterprise Digs In: The Tribal Land Suit 50 Years Later.” We appreciate The Enterprise bringing renewed attention to a chapter of our history that shaped our community and still matters to our families today.

On August 26, 1976, our Tribe, led by then-Chairman Russell “Fast Turtle” Peters and other Tribal citizens, filed a lawsuit challenging how Mashpee lands had been taken and transferred. The case argued that nineteenth-century actions that divided our communal lands and turned Mashpee into a town violated the federal Indian Nonintercourse Act, which required federal approval for transfers of Tribal land.

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Community Development Corporation is taking another step toward greater energy sovereignty by seeking proposals for solar installations on Reservation land in Mashpee.

The project has two possible areas at the Community and Government Center, 483 Great Neck Road South. One would place solar panels on canopy structures above portions of the parking lot, with a proposed system in the range of 500 kilowatts. The other would explore solar integration with canopy structures around parts of the Powwow grounds. The proposed structures would use WholeTree timber designs and would need to respect the trees and gathering spaces already there.

A project led by Wampanoag women to create a safe place for Native survivors of violence has received two significant gifts, bringing the vision for Aquinnah Headwaters another step closer to reality.

Kinship Heals, the Northeast Native Network of Kinship and Healing, announced a $300,000 gift from the Kataly Foundation's Mindfulness and Healing Justice Program and a $3 million gift from an anonymous donor. Kataly has supported Kinship Heals since 2022 and previously provided $500,000 toward the purchase of nearly eight acres in Aquinnah.

Preparing for storms and other emergencies is part of caring for our families, homes and the places that hold our history. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe's Emergency Management Department is updating its Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan to reflect the challenges our community faces today and the priorities that can help reduce future damage.

The 2026 update builds on the Tribe's 2020 plan. It considers severe winter weather, coastal storms and other hazards, along with more recent experiences including the February 2026 blizzard. The plan is intended to help identify risks to Tribal housing, facilities, cultural resources and essential services, and to guide projects that may help make our community more resilient.

A public program at the Eastham Public Library this month will look back at a 1976 reburial on Cape Cod and ask a question that has long mattered to our people: who gets to tell the story of what happened?

During the nation's Bicentennial year, the remains of a Wampanoag woman that had been displayed for years in a local history museum were reburied. The ceremony brought together Wampanoag people, the Wellfleet Historical Society and the Cape Cod National Seashore. In the years since, different participants have remembered and described that moment in different ways.

Medicare's annual Open Enrollment period is underway, giving Tribal elders and other community members with Medicare an opportunity to review their health and prescription coverage for the coming year.

From October 15 through December 7, people with Medicare can compare their current coverage with available plans and make changes if another option better meets their needs. Depending on the coverage they have now, they may be able to switch Medicare Advantage plans, change prescription drug plans, or move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Changes made during this period generally take effect January 1, 2027.

Daughters of Tradition begins its next after-school session on Wednesday, November 4, welcoming Tribal girls in grades 3 through 6 for time together rooted in Wampanoag culture, community and learning.

The program will meet every Wednesday and Thursday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Quashnet School. Teachings include sustaining culture, spirit and intent, talking circles, language and more. The goal is to help our daughters grow into healthy, confident teenagers who know that their traditions and community are here to support them.

The Sacred Parenting program is continuing with winter and spring sessions for community members who want to strengthen family connections, share stories, and explore traditional approaches to raising and caring for our children.

The class welcomes parents, future parents, aunties, uncles, grandparents, and others who help care for children in our community. The program creates space to talk about parenting, personal healing, intergenerational trauma, storytelling, cultural heritage, and the responsibility we share in helping the next generation grow strong.

Safe and stable housing is one of the most important ways we support our families and help our people remain in our ancestral homelands. The Mashpee Wampanoag Housing Commission is continuing to seek Tribal citizens who are willing to serve and help guide that work.

Commissioners help oversee housing initiatives that include rental and mortgage assistance programs and the First Light Housing Development. A small group of dedicated commissioners has been carrying this responsibility, but additional members are needed so the Commission can consistently meet quorum and take action when decisions need to be made.

Our Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Education Department has launched a new online Johnson O'Malley (JOM) form and is asking eligible Tribal families to complete one form for each child.

JOM helps support the educational needs of Native students through cultural and language activities, academic support, enrichment, and other opportunities that help our children succeed. The information our families provide also helps our Education Department understand how many eligible students we are serving and what kinds of programs our children need.