Cultural spirit alive at Aquinnah Powwow 

The excitement in the air was tangible during the dance circle on the first day of this summer’s intertribal Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) Powwow. Saturday was breezy but brilliantly sunny and clear, and the blue waters off Philbin Beach created an unbeatable view. 

The sense of community and tradition permeated the atmosphere as dancers, elders, and tribal members from many nations warmly greeted friends and relations from near and far.

Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Bettina Washington (Aquinnah Wampanoag) shared in an interview before the event that this would be the 19th annual Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) powwow. Although the tribe had held powwows in the 1930s, it was a Wampanoag youth group that reinitiated the tradition nearly two decades ago.

Powwows are important cultural gatherings for Indigenous peoples across the country, reflecting resiliency and heritage. According to the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, modern versions evolved from ceremonial dances, songs, and social gatherings. The term “powwow” derives from pau wau, meaning “medicine man” in Narrtick, a language spoken by the Algonquian peoples in Massachusetts. In the 1800s, the U.S. enacted harsh policies of forced assimilation, which suppressed Native cultures, but tribes found ways to adapt. Diverse tribal communities held gatherings to share and preserve their heritages, which eventually became modern intertribal powwows. 

In an interview with emcee Justin Beatty (Ojibwe/Occaneechi Saponi/African American), he spoke about the importance of powwows for Indigenous people. “They are a form of cultural communication that allows us to keep our cultures. Powwows allow us to see in real time the use of materials, the resurgence of practices that had not been present for a while, and the evolution of intergenerational cultural communication.”

On Saturday, Daniela Harrigan, visiting from Worcester with her friend Cynthia Perry and her daughter Jeannette Harrigan, was eagerly waiting for events to begin. “It’s my daughter’s birthday. I thought, ‘What better way to celebrate than being at a powwow?’

I’m looking forward to supporting the longstanding traditions of the land and people of Aquinnah — to celebrate and honor what they are bringing. And I’m looking forward to the dancing. The world needs more joy.”

Soon Beatty got the event underway and, with witty repartee, introduced the four drum groups — Black Brook, High Rollerz, Eastern Suns, and the Yootay –– as the dancers began to gather. The different regalia representing many tribes was stunning, and each person’s was unique, a powerful mode of self-expression. Some regalia was fashioned from boldly colored fabrics, while others were made from animal hides. Women wore dresses or skirts with blouses, and men donned shirts, leggings, and breechcloths. Many were adorned with jingle bells, wampum, ribbons, embroidery, or feathers. Some of the men wore long, round roaches made from porcupine guard hair and colored deer tails; some women wore beaded crowns or beaded headbands, or braided their hair with otter or ermine skins.

After Jason Baird, Aquinnah Wampanoag medicine man, prepared the circle by burning a mixture of sage and sweetgrass to cleanse the space, it was time for the Grand Entry. Beatty informed the crowd of about 500 spectators about the proper intertribal protocol, including that everyone who could should stand, and no one should record or photograph the proceedings. 

Aquinnah Wampanoag member James Hacinson-Moeris led the Grand Entry carrying the traditional eagle staff (a staff of wood adorned by sacred eagle feathers). Aquinnah member Doug Vanderhoop, who served in the U.S. Army and is a holder of the red feather — the highest honor given to a Native American for their military service –– entered next with the flag of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah). They were followed by bearers of flags representing the Mashantucket Pequot, Nipmuc, and Armed Forces, as well as those of the United States and Massachusetts, and one for POW MIA. Among the others who followed were Wampanoag Aquinnah council members, the head dancers, and dignitaries, and then the rest of the dancers.

An atmosphere of reverence and respect continued as all activity stopped for the Flag Song, which Beatty explained is similar to the U.S. National Anthem and is played at the beginning of Indigenous sporting and cultural events. During the Veterans Song, Beatty called Indigenous veterans into the circle, and then any veteran who served in the armed forces, Coast Guard, Fire Department, Police Department, or EMS. Finally, he invited anyone who wanted to honor Indigenous or non-Indigenous veterans to join in the dance, creating a sense of unity. “Indigenous folks served at a higher rate per capita than any other ethnic demographic in the United States,” Beatty noted.

When the powwow dancing began, the first one was an intertribal dance. It was captivating to watch the participants from various Indigenous nations sporting unique regalia and dancing in distinctly different styles to the same piece of music, some using rattles or fans to accentuate their movements.

Between two dances, Akuahah Wheaton (Hassanamisco Tribe of Nipmucs) came forward to explain that a tradition of her tribe was to give a gift to the hosts whenever they attended an event. After a message of greeting, she presented Aquinnah Wampanoag tribal members with a handsome microphone and stanchion set that they could use at future gatherings.

A particularly special moment occurred after the exciting and vigorous men’s Eastern War Dance. Tony Cook and his family, who are Māori from New Zealand, were called into the circle to recognize their special connection to the Island and Wampanoag people. Cook’s great-grandfather, Marcelus Cook, left Noepe (Martha’s Vineyard) on a whaling voyage, after which he stopped in New Zealand, where he met Cook’s great-grandmother and started a family. “A few generations later, we are here trying to fill our baskets up with as much knowledge as we can of where he came from.” It was an emotional experience witnessing his Aquinnah Wampanoag relations enter the circle to greet the family. “We didn’t expect this, to meet the family,” Cook said of the trip to the Island. “Coming to this place is so sacred and so warm. This is where we come from. It was amazing.”

Among other dances was the Women’s Eastern Blanket Dance, in which the female dancers used their beautifully designed blankets, wending them around and about their bodies to create a graceful flow meant to relate the story of their journey to womanhood. Their movements are also meant to attract attention to their skill from the man of their desire.

The hill buzzed with other activity. On one of the nearby tables was all the breathtaking jewelry for the raffle. Lines were long for the aromatic food, which included fare by Sherry Pocknett of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, who made culinary history in 2023 when she was the first Indigenous chef to win the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef Northeast. Just a few items were firecracker shrimp, smoked salmon, bluefish, mussels, and venison, along with Indian tacos and a delicious blueberry slump or Indian pudding for dessert, and mango or strawberry lemonade as some of the choices for drinks. Nearby, Jeff Duarte (Aquinnah Wampanoag) offered up smoked pork ribs, beef “dino ribs,” and smoked chicken using his own barbeque sauce and rub, along with cornbread and various salads.

Indigenous artists were selling their wares. Among them was Jennifer Staples, Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), whose pendants and earrings feature the swirled red, black, yellow, white, and gray hues of the sacred Gay Head Cliffs clay that is only available to tribal members. Aquinnah tribe member Donald Widdis, famous for his wampum items, and his son, Aquinnah Wampanoag member Heath Widdis, who crafts gorgeous small pots also from the Gay Head Cliff clay, were there as well. Indigenous groups had booths, too, including Sassafras Earth Education, which offers nature-based education and outdoor living skills designed to reconnect children and adults with the earth, and Kinship Heals, a Martha’s Vineyard–based, Native-run nonprofit focused on ending domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking in the Wampanoag and other Indigenous communities.

Seasonal Vineyarder Sylvia White and her friend Gail Johnson, a longtime visitor, reflected on the day. “My good friend encouraged me to come and really experience what this land is all about,” White said. “I was curious to learn more, and I want to pay respect. And I want to be conscious and intentional about how I go about that.” Johnson, who is a member of the Polar Bears each summer, said that every morning gathered in the water, they honor the Wampanoag People. “So having that come to life for me was something I did not want to miss. It’s such an honor to be here. There was so much more history before we started coming and vacationing on this Island.” 

“I feel there is a natural kinship that I didn’t expect to experience,” White added. “It feels like something we would do as African Americans. And this is opening my eyes to history I didn’t know. I think we are at a point in time, especially in the U.S., so that’s why I’m intentionally trying to learn as much as I can so I can fight back in ways that are healthy and move the ball forward. I’m so glad they are so gracious to let us come and experience it.”

Separately, Beatty’s comment supported the sentiment. “If you come and listen with an open heart, you will learn who we are and be in community with us. You can’t come to a powwow and not have your perspective change, which is a useful thing in the modern age.”