Mashpee Nine: A Story of Cultural Justice facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Paula Peters |
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| Published | 2016 |
| Publisher | SmokeSygnals |
| Media type | Paperback |
| ISBN | 978-0-9976289-0-6 |
Mashpee Nine: A Story of Cultural Justice is a non-fiction book from 2016. It was written by Paula Peters, who is a journalist, activist, and a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. This book goes along with a documentary called “Mashpee Nine: The Beat Goes On”.
The book tells the true story of a police raid, arrests, and a court trial. It happened to nine Wampanoag tribal members. They were drumming at a campsite on Mashpee Pond in Mashpee, Massachusetts, on July 29, 1976.
Contents
The Story of the Mashpee Nine
A Night of Surprises
The story starts late at night on July 29, 1976, around 12:30 AM. Police officers, dressed in special gear, suddenly entered the Wampanoag tents. They woke up the sleeping men and arrested them. The book describes the confusion and shock of that moment.
Paula Peters then takes us back to earlier that day. She describes how a fun Mashpee celebration and feast was being planned. Mashpee used to be a very calm and safe place. But in the 1960s, new buildings and more people moved in. This change, called gentrification, pushed Native people onto their own tribal lands.
Drumming and Disruption
After the feast, a group of men gathered around a fire. They played the drum, which is very important to the Mashpee Wampanoags. It is a center for their culture, social life, and spiritual beliefs. The book shares the story through the eyes of the Native men who were arrested.
While they were drumming and singing, police officers arrived with dogs, sticks, and flashlights. They chased and handcuffed nine men. The police said the men were "disturbing the peace."
Mashpee Then and Now
The book also tells another part of the story. It talks about a 15-year-old boy who felt very angry. He was too young to fully understand why he felt this way. Later, we learn that this boy threw a rock at the police. This might have made the police react strongly.
The book also describes how Mashpee, Massachusetts, changed over time. Before the 1960s and 1970s, Mashpee had few people and lots of wildlife. It was a very rural area. After these years, the town grew a lot and became more commercial. Both Native and non-Native people lived there. But they did not always get along, and tensions grew.
The Raid and Arrests
The Mashpee people were building a small 17th-century style village. It was on a place called Twelve Acres, near Attaquin Park. At the same time, police units were getting new training and equipment. They were learning how to handle large crowds.
A spontaneous powwow (a Native American gathering) lasted for three days. During this time, there was an incident between police officers and Wampanoag people. People complained about the noise from the singing and drumming. Officers came to tell the tribal members to leave.
On the last day, about a dozen men were singing and drumming around the fire. Another noise complaint was made. Every available Mashpee officer was called to Twelve Acres. They arrived in special gear, with sticks, dogs, helmets, and shields. They began to arrest the men. The campsite was damaged. The Native people were treated roughly and arrested. They were put into police cars. In total, nine men were arrested for disturbing the peace.
Seeking Justice in Court
The next morning, two women, Dawn Blake-Lopes and Bernadine Pocknett, took pictures of the damaged campsite. Dawn made sure to have two sets of these photos. She gave one to the police and kept the other for herself. The news story in the Cape Cod Times at the time described the event. It said the raid was a "rock-throwing fight." Police officers who were there refused to talk about it.
The investigation was given to District Attorney Philip Rollins. He said the police officers did nothing wrong. He also said the police were right to use dogs. He claimed the officers did not know about the permit the people of Twelve Acres had.
A trial for the Mashpee Nine was set. Lew Gurwitz, a lawyer who helped indigenous peoples, decided to take their case for free. The Mashpee Nine thought about pleading guilty. They believed a fine or probation would be better than more trouble from the police.
Lew helped the Mashpee Nine prepare for court. He found differences in the police officers' stories when they were questioned. The trial happened on December 27, 1976. Lew asked if the Native people could swear on a traditional medicine pipe instead of the Bible. This was allowed, which was a very rare event in Massachusetts courts.
When Lew asked the police to show photos of the campsite damage, they said the photos were "lost." Then Lew showed the second set of photos that Dawn had secretly kept. The officers' stories were also very different from each other. After months of hearings, the Mashpee Nine were found not guilty.
A Victory for Fairness
The Mashpee Nine were very happy and felt they had won. They decided not to press charges against the police. They felt that the police officers would feel guilty for their actions. Also, the declaration that the nine men were innocent was enough.
Paula Peters wonders why the police raided the Mashpee Nine that night. She explains that thousands of dollars were spent training officers for crowd control. This training might not have been needed much in the area. She thinks the officers might have wanted to practice their training.
The book ends by talking about today's society. It mentions ongoing issues about fairness and how police treat people.
Important Ideas in the Story
Fairness and Equal Treatment
The reasons the police gave for raiding the campsite remind us of discussions about fairness in policing today. The officers' stories were not consistent. Many of them talked about people not respecting authority. Peters suggests that these ideas are similar to how many groups, especially African Americans, are treated today. The book encourages us to think about equal treatment for everyone.
Native Voices and Stories
The main goal of this story is to share the truth. It uses careful journalism and research. This book is important for Native literature because it shares a story about Native people, written by a Native author. Sometimes, the histories of minority cultures are changed or not fully told. This book helps by giving new perspectives and making sure Native voices are heard.
Culture and Beliefs
The book also talks about the importance of culture and spiritual beliefs. When Lew the lawyer helped the Mashpee Nine swear on a traditional medicine pipe, it was a very special moment. This was a symbolic step away from unfairness. It allowed the Native people to practice their own culture. They did not have to follow only the practices of other cultures.
