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History & Culture
The Wampanoag Indian Tribe
The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) is a popularly elected representative tribal government, whose meetings are open to all tribal members to encourage community involvement in all phases of economic and community development. The Wampanoag people have lived for thousands of years on the Island of Martha's Vineyard. The primary location for tribal members is Aquinnah, a 3,400-acre peninsula on the Island's southwestern end. Pursuing a traditional economy based on fishing and agriculture, the Wampanoags shared their resources with pre-colonial and colonial European settlers, with whom contact has been documented from the early 1600s.
The political identity of the Wampanoag Tribe has survived under the township's laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, but over the past 100 years more and more land has been lost as changes in the local economy forced more Wampanoag to sell their lands, move to other parts of the Island, or to leave the Island altogether.
In April 1987 the Wampanoag Tribal Council of Gay Head, Inc. received final determination from the Bureau of Indian Affairs recognizing the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) as a tribal government. This federal recognition created a government-to-government relationship between the United States Government and the WTGH(A).
Traditionally, the Wampanoag people have been, and continue to be, self-reliant
and independent, preferring hard work and subsistence to dependence on local,
state, or federal governments. At present there are more than 900 members listed
on the tribal rolls of the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah. Of these, approximately
300 reside on the Island of Martha's Vineyard; approximately 150 live in the town
of Aquinnah. The remainder live in mainland towns all over the United States and
Canada.
The Aquinnah Wampanoag share the belief that the giant Moshup created Martha's
Vineyard and the neighboring islands, taught their people how to fish and to catch
whales, and still presides over their destinies. They also believe that a hundred
million years of history are imprinted in the Aquinnah cliffs.
Cranberry Day (the second Tuesday in October), though no longer a 3-to-4-day-long
festive period, still is important and meaningful to the Aquinnah Wampanoag. Students
are dismissed from school to participate in cultural activities. There are daytime
events for tribal members, and a community pot luck supper in the evening. The
Moshup Pageant in August honors and reenacts the story of Moshup's life until
his disappearance, weaving together narration, music, and acting.
The Tribal Council, consisting of a chairperson and 10 council members, is elected by the Aquinnah Wampanoag to represent them in all affairs pertaining to the tribe. The Chief and Medicine Man are traditional members of the Tribal Council. In January 1994 a new tribal facility was completed to host various offices and provide for Council meetings, general membership meetings, and other tribal events.
For more information on the Wampanoag Tribe, visit www.wampanoagtribe.net.
