Updated, Oct. 17
Some Wampanoag tribal members held the fourth annual indigenous Peoples Day on Noepe ceremony at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary on Sunday, Oct. 13.
The event featured an indigenous drum ceremony and speeches from various Wampanoag tribe leaders and members, and was attended by dozens of Islanders.
Organized by local nonprofit Sassafras Earth Education, the afternoon was a way to hold space for indigenous people, to acknowledge the unjust treatment they have endured on this land, and to look toward a more inclusive future.
David “Two Arrows” Vanderhoop and his spouse, Saskia Vanderhoop, are the founders of Sassafras, located in Aquinnah. In his remarks on Sunday, David Vanderhoop gave thanks to the land, ancestors, and the community who attended. “I am thankful for my friends, the grasses, trees, and birds. I am thankful for my people, the Wôpanâak,” Vanderhoop said.
Felix Neck education coordinator Josey Kirkland followed Vanderhoop’s introduction, saying, “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to listen deeply.”
Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary is a landmark for the Wampanoag tribe due to its namesake, Felix Kuttashamaquat, a Wampanoag who resided on the land in the 1600s, but was forcibly removed by Europeans.
“I want to acknowledge that today, we have bits and pieces that we put together, but that still hold us strong to the land,” Vanderhoop said. He spoke of the courage and perseverance of his indigenous ancestors, and the “5 percent of all indigenous people who were able to survive,” but who “live with [the past] deep in our DNA.”
Vanderhoop also spoke of the maltreatment he endured on the Island due to his Wampanoag heritage. “That trauma stays with you,” he said. He founded Sassafras Earth Education in an effort to improve the lives of Wampanoag tribe members and youth of color on the Island.
“We still do exist. We still have a culture that we can feel good about — that we can send our children to school … that they have some pride … that holds them up despite what they have to go through,” he continued. His goal is to provide tools and guidance for youth to express their gifts, and a safe environment for future indigenous generations.
Tribal citizen Tarj Madison reflected on his experience with Sassafras Earth Education, and how much his heritage has empowered him in his own life. “I’m proud to be Aquinnah Wôpanâak,” he said.
Alexis Moreis, a council member for the Wampanoag Tribe of Chappaquiddick, spoke about the resilience of the Wampanoag tribe of the Vineyard. She brought up the sustenance and land rights that indigenous people on the Island have. “Any space on this Island is Wôpanâak land,” she said, then asked the community gathered before her, “How much land do you need to sustain your families?”
Moreis reminded the community who attended that many of the primary sources from the 1600s were written by European colonists, who wrote derogatory and violent rhetoric about indigenous peoples. She noted that the rhetoric was also acted on, and fueled the massacre of 1637, known as the Mystic or Pequot Massacre. Europeans slaughtered more than 700 indigenous men, women, children, and elders in an effort to exert control over Plymouth land. Some historians point to the massacre as one of the origins of Thanksgiving, and a turning point in New England’s history, when colonists pulled away any hope of peace between Europeans and Wampanoag.
Tiffany Vanderhoop spoke to the eventgoers about the significance of Wampanoag presence on Noepe (Martha’s Vineyard) land, and of the importance of truth in the context of cultural history. “As long as there are systems in place to erase my identity,” she said, “I’m going to tell my story. There can be no reconciliation without the truth.”
Vanderhoop serves on the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, and is a prominent educator on indigenous rights. “Find out what you can do,” she urged the audience. “Think about the pain, the suffering, and how we can heal.”
Evan “Cicada” Hall, one of the drummers for the event, said that his presence in the ceremony was a testament to the inclusivity of the tribe. Though not Wampanoag, he is indigenous and was asked to participate. Hall hopes the Island community can continue to show up for similar events and dedicate themselves to further education on indigenous culture. He referred to the past treatment of the Wampanoag tribe, and said there was “compassion that was extended then, and still stands strong, and has never been truly returned.”
Durwood (“Woody”) Vanderhoop of the Black Brook Singers reflected on the role of ceremonial drumming in Wampanoag culture: “For us, the drum is the heartbeat of our community,” he said. The style of drumming that was demonstrated on Sunday was a powwow style, related to Northern and Southern Plains tribes.
indigenous Peoples Day has been seen as an opportunity for awareness and education into the treatment of Native Americans throughout the nation. In the words of Moreis, some ways Islanders can contribute to the Wampanoag tribe on the Island are to “donate, research, contribute to Wôpanâak businesses, think about access, go to your town and say there shouldn’t be private beaches.”
For those interested in learning more about indigenous culture, land rights, and community assistance for the Wampanoag tribe, there is a free “Indigenous Awareness” training that starts on Nov. 12, available at bit.ly/SEA_IndigenousAwareness.
