Tribal Citizens along with family and friends from the community are invited to attend the 9th Annual Native American Thanks Giving on Saturday, November 17. The annual event, which is coordinated by the Old Indian Meeting House Committee, will open at 11:00 a.m. at the Old Indian Meeting House with an opening ceremony and prayer.

Over nine years ago Tribal Citizen Stanley Dutra wanted to find a way to formally remember, celebrate and honor our family and friends that have passed on to the spirit world. With that purpose Ancestor’s Day was created. Nine years later our Old Indian Meeting House Committee is pleased to continue this annual event and will be hosting the 9th Annual Ancestor’s Day on Saturday, September 22.

On Saturday, September 22 all Wampanoag people, including the Mashpee, Aquinnah and Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribes will come together with friends from the community at the 19th Annual Wampanoag Day Celebration at the Aptucxet Trading Post Museum in Bourne. The event will kick off at 11 AM and is open to the public.

If you are not a patient of Indian Health Services and you are turning 65 or have parents who are turning 65, you/they will need to sign up for all parts of Medicare, including Prescription Coverage. The Medicare Outreach Worker in the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Health Services Department will be on site at the weekly Lunch and Learn Program every Thursday from 10:00 a.m. – 2 p.m. to help. You may also contact the Tribal Health Department at (508) 477-0208 ext 166 to schedule an appointment.

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Education Department began accepting applications on July 15 for academic scholarships for the 2018-2019 school year. Tribal members enrolled in one or more accredited courses for the upcoming semester may apply. All students are eligible to receive $500 per course or up to $2,000 for full time students with 12 credits or more.

With over $250,000 in AmeriCorps grant funding that was awarded to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Emergency Management Department for the 2018 fiscal year, Tribal Citizens ages 18-24 can now get to work on meaningful projects across the country.  This award has established the first ever Tribal AmeriCorps disaster services program on the Eastern half of the United States.

Notice of a recent email/scam alert. The email is informing you a timely security report for your American Express card. They state they had a problem validating your profile. In view of this “Cardmember information need to be requested and your mandatory effort is required.” 

Toward the latter part of the month of July, Director of Emergency Management at the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Nelson Andrews accepted an invitational request from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to meet with Assistant Secretary of DHS John Hill and Deputy Assistant Secretary Alaina Clark in Oklahoma City.  At this meeting he was joined with a selected group of other emergency managers from across various regions and organizations within Indian Country.  During the meeting the group had valuable discussions with DHS regarding various issues that impact the preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation efforts across Tribal jurisdictions.

On Wednesday, August 22 the Mashpee School Committee adopted a 2018-2019 school year calendar that acknowledges Indigenous People day in place of Columbus Day.

On Wednesday, August 22 the Mashpee Public School District Employee Orientation included a tour of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe facilities and education programs. The visit to tribal lands was included in this year’s tour as a way to provide the Mashpee Public School staff with a more comprehensive view of the resources that are in our community.  

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Health and Human Services Department will be sponsoring a free Narcan Training for community members on Wednesday, September 12. The overdose prevention and reversal program will be held at the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Community and Government Center from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Chapter 1, Section 1  includes Findings which declare separate branches (Legislative and Judicial) of government that exercise the powers vested in them and have no authority over the other branch except as may be granted by the Constitution.  Various articles of the Constitution are cited that promote government authority for the Legislative and Judicial Branches of government.  It reminds us that cases pending in Tribal Court are handled by the Judiciary and not Tribal Council. 

At the 2018 National United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY) conference this summer, the executive committee selected Brian “Moskwetah” Weeden to once again serve as their Male advisor to this year’s NUC Executive Committee. This is Brian’s second term as Male advisor.

Congratulations to David Weeden the Mashpee Wampanoag Family Dental Clinic July Incentive Prize Winner. Each month one lucky patient of the clinic is chosen at random as the winner and is able to select a prize. Prizes include items such as an electric toothbrush, a water pick or a dental care package.

Mason Hendricks graduated from Wareham high school on June 8th. He is the first grandchild of (the late) Lawrence E. Hendricks III to graduate High school. He is the son of Jody Santagate and Lawrence M. Hendricks of Wareham. He is the great grandson of, Francis Cash Hendricks. Mason will attend BCC in the fall, concentrating on his associates degree in Sociology.