Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe facts for kids
| Mâseepee Wôpanâak | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 3,200 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 United States ( Massachusetts) |
|
| Languages | |
| English, Wampanoag | |
| Religion | |
| traditional tribal religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| other Wampanoag people |
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is one of two federally recognized tribes of Wampanoag people in Massachusetts. Being "federally recognized" means the United States government officially acknowledges them as a Native American tribe. They were recognized in 2007 and have their main offices in Mashpee on Cape Cod. The other Wampanoag tribe is the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) on Martha's Vineyard.
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe helps its members by providing health services, having its own police force, a court system, and education programs. In March 2024, about 3,200 people were officially members of the tribe. They have land in Mashpee (170 acres) and in Taunton, Massachusetts (150 acres). In 2015, the U.S. Department of Interior officially set aside this land as their reservation.
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The Mashpee Wampanoag Story
Indigenous people, meaning the first people, have lived on Cape Cod for at least ten thousand years. The historic Algonquian-speaking Wampanoag were the native people who met the English colonists in the 1600s. The Wampanoag also controlled a large area along the coast. They were one of several Algonquian-speaking tribes in what is now Massachusetts and Rhode Island. For centuries, the Wampanoag and English people interacted and influenced each other's cultures.
English colonists started settling in the Mashpee area in 1658. They were helped by a missionary named Richard Bourne from the nearby town of Sandwich. In 1660, the colonists allowed Wampanoag people who had become Christians to live on about 50 square miles (130 km2) of land. Starting in 1665, the Wampanoag governed themselves using a court system similar to the English. Before this, they had their own traditional ways of governing. These settlements were called "praying towns" by the English.
After the Wampanoag faced challenges in King Philip's War (1675–1676), many were forced to move. Some Wampanoag and the Nauset people had to settle in praying towns like Mashpee on Cape Cod. Many Wampanoag people faced great hardship, including being forced into labor or moved far from their homes.
The colonists made Mashpee on Cape Cod the largest Indian reservation in Massachusetts. The town's name, Mashpee, comes from a native name, mass-nippe. Mass means "great" or "greater," and nippe means "water." So, the name can mean "the greater cove" or "land near great cove," referring to Wakeby Lake.
In 1763, the British Crown declared Mashpee a plantation of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. This was against the wishes of the Wampanoag. This meant the colonial government had more control over the Mashpee Wampanoag's land. The Wampanoag were given the "right" to elect their own leaders to keep order, but they were still under colonial rule. The Wampanoag population decreased because of new diseases from the colonists and their land being taken over.
After the American Revolutionary War, in 1788, the town took away Mashpee's self-government. European-American officials thought the Wampanoag's self-rule was not working. They appointed a committee of five European-American overseers to manage Mashpee. In 1837, William Apess, a Pequot Methodist preacher, helped the Mashpee Wampanoag protest peacefully against these overseers. The overseers were not protecting the Wampanoag from colonists who were taking their wood. This period of outside control led to the Wampanoag losing even more of their land.
Land Challenges in the 1800s
In 1834, the state gave the Wampanoag some self-government back, but they were not fully independent. To encourage them to live like European-American farmers, the state divided some of the Wampanoag's shared land in 1842. They gave out 60-acre (24 ha) plots to families for farming. This was part of their 13,000-acre (5,300 ha) property.
Laws were passed to stop European Americans from taking Wampanoag land, but these laws were not always enforced. Settlers also stole wood from the reservation. The Wampanoag had a large area rich in wood, fish, and game, which other settlers wanted. The Mashpee Indians faced more problems with their neighbors than other Native American settlements that were more isolated.
In 1870, the state officially made Mashpee a Town. This meant European Americans had more control over the town government. Because of this, the Wampanoag eventually lost control of most of their land and their self-government. Many of their descendants stayed in the area. Some worked on whaling ships and other boats from Massachusetts ports. They continued to identify as Mashpee Wampanoag, keeping their culture alive. They also welcomed new members through marriages and mixed-heritage families.
The 1900s: Rebuilding the Tribe
Starting in the 1970s, the Mashpee Wampanoag began to reorganize. They wanted to use their political power and sought official recognition from the federal government. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council was formed in 1972. Its first president was Russell "Fast Turtle" Peters. In 1974, the Council asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs for recognition. It was hard for them to show their continuous history because many people thought that if tribes had members of different backgrounds, they were no longer "Indians." However, the Mashpee Wampanoag had kept their culture strong, and most of their descendants identified as Wampanoag.
In 1976, the tribe filed an important land claim lawsuit. They sued the Town of Mashpee to get their ancestral lands back. A U.S. District Court decided that because the Mashpee Wampanoag were not federally recognized, they could not pursue the land claim. The tribe continued to work for federal recognition for three decades, finally achieving it in 2007.
The 2000s: New Challenges and Progress
In 2000, Glenn Marshall was the chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Council. Later, Shawn Hendricks became chairman. The tribe faced some challenges with its leadership and how money was handled.
The Mashpee Tribe officially gained federal recognition in 2007. The tribe's leaders worked to explore ways to create income for the tribe, such as through gaming, to help their people.
In 2009, the tribe elected Cedric Cromwell as council chair and president. He promised to bring reforms.
The tribe continued to discuss with the state about getting a license to build a casino on their land in Taunton. In 2013, the Mashpee and the state made an agreement. The tribe would give Massachusetts 17 percent of all casino money if the state did not allow another casino in the area.
In September 2015, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) officially took 321 acres of land into federal trust for the Mashpee Wampanoag. This included 170 acres the tribe already controlled in Mashpee and 150 new acres in Taunton. Tribal chairman Cedric Cromwell said, "This is a reclamation of land that was once ours. Tribal lands once stretched from Cape Ann to Rhode Island, and this new reservation represents only a dot on the map, but it feels really good."
Who Can Be a Member?
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council has rules for who can become a member. To join, a person must be able to show they are a descendant of recognized members. They also need to live in or near Mashpee and be involved in the tribe's activities.
Currently, the tribe has paused new membership enrollments.
Land and Future Plans
After becoming federally recognized, the tribe worked to get state approval to build a casino on their land. Native American gaming operations are regulated by the National Indian Gaming Commission. There are rules about building casinos on land acquired after 1988. The tribe faced legal and government challenges because they did not continuously control a reservation before this date. They had lost their land due to past actions by colonial and local Massachusetts governments.
In November 2011, Massachusetts passed a law to allow up to three resort casinos and one slot machine parlor. The Wampanoag were given a chance to develop plans for a casino in the southeastern part of the state.
The tribe suggested building a $500 million casino on land they planned to buy in Taunton, Massachusetts. Taunton is about 48 miles (77 km) from Mashpee. Another tribe, the Pocasset Wampanoag, also wanted to build a casino. The state agreed to the Mashpee Tribe's plan for a casino in Taunton. By 2014, the tribe was finishing plans for the Taunton property and for administrative offices on their Mashpee land.
By 2010, the Wampanoag Tribe's casino plan had financial support from the Malaysian Genting Group. It also had political support from Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, Governor Deval Patrick, and former Congressman Bill Delahunt.
Land in Trust: A Closer Look
In September 2015, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, approved the tribe's request to put 321 acres of land into federal trust. This created the Mashpee Wampanoag reservation. This included 170 acres the tribe already owned in Mashpee and 150 newly acquired acres in Taunton.
In February 2016, some property owners in Taunton filed a lawsuit. They challenged the land-into-trust deal, referring to a 2009 Supreme Court decision. This decision said the government could not take land into trust for tribes recognized after the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act. The City of Taunton supported the casino because its residents had voted for it.
Even with the court challenge, the Mashpee Wampanoag started developing the Taunton site.
In July 2016, a U.S. district court ruled that the BIA had gone beyond its authority. The court sent the matter back to the BIA for review. In February 2020, another court agreed, saying the Department of Interior did not have the power to take tribal land into trust for the tribe's benefit. On March 27, 2020, the government announced it would remove over 300 acres of land from federal trust and take away its "reservation" status.
However, a federal judge later blocked these actions. The Biden administration then decided not to appeal this ruling. In December 2021, a ruling from the Department of the Interior gave the Mashpee Wampanoag "substantial control" over the land. This means the tribe has significant authority over their reservation lands.
In Popular Culture
A documentary video called Mashpee (1999) talks about the effects of the Wampanoag's land claims in the 1970s.
Notable Mashpee Wampanoag People
- Joan Tavares Avant, author and historian
- Jessie Little Doe Baird, linguist (someone who studies languages)
- Sonny Dove, professional basketball player, in the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame
- Mwalim, musician, writer, and educator
