The vibration of drums and the sound of indigenous chants echoed into Fenway Park during the Boston Red Sox’s annual Native American and American Indian Celebration, a night that showcases the proud, resilient heritage of indigenous communities from across the country.
Tobias Vanderhoop, a member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and a tribal leader, was invited to sing an original tribal honor song as part of the opening ceremony on Wednesday, August 19. Vanderhoop is the former chairman of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe and currently serves as tribal council secretary.
As a lifelong Red Sox fan, Vanderhoop was excited to be invited to the game to represent the Wampanoag people. “It means a tremendous amount to me. This is a celebration of the fact that we, as Native people, are still here, and we’re still in our homeland, in our original place, and we get to represent ourselves to not only all of New England but whoever sees it. That is extremely important to us and to me.”
Vanderhoop set sail from the Island on Tuesday, the day before the game, and quickly realized he was aboard the Steamship Authority freight ferry named Aquinnah. “The creator can’t give you more signs than that,” Vanderhoop said. “I’m sailing off of my home island on the boat named from my own village, so I can go represent my people.”
A delegation of 30 to 40 members from the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe traveled to Boston for the game. Several community members also reached out to Vanderhoop directly to tell him they would be traveling to Boston to watch the game, “I’m extremely excited about the fact that I’m not celebrating this on my own,” Vanderhoop said.
The song that Vanderhoop opened the game with was composed by his brother Thomas in honor of their grandfather and commemorated his service as a World War II veteran.
“It also can be an acknowledgement of just service to the community in general as people who uplift and support the place that you come from or the place that you live,” Vanderhoop said. “Primarily, it is to honor the service of our military people.”
Fenway Park and the Red Sox have celebrated Native American communities for several years now, with various festivities on the designated day. But this year was the first time Vanderhoop was invited on the field.
“The fact that I get to be on the field, and I get to offer a song that no matter what nation you come from — if they see that, they hear it — I’m representing them,” Vanderhoop said. “Now I’m representing my own people, of course. But this is something that I never in all of my whole life would ever have thought that I would be able to see, and so the fact that the Red Sox organization is willing to do this is incredible.”
If there’s anything else to be taken away, I want people to realize that we’re still here, but if some youngsters can see that, hear it, and feel like they’re being represented by that song or by that ceremony, then that is a joy to my heart.”
Joining Vanderhoop at the game were other Native American and American Indian community leaders from across the nation, like the Nipmuc and Narragansett, who keep the stories and traditions of Native communities alive.
“Representation means so much,” Vanderhoop said. “When I was a boy, I told people that I was a member of my tribe, the Wampanoag tribe from Gay Head Aquinnah. I was told I had a vivid imagination, but it’s not an imagination. It’s what I am. That’s who I am.”
Fans at the game had the opportunity to purchase a special jersey designed by Boston resident Sage Carbone, who is Northern Narragansett and Mi’kmaq, tribes based primarily in Rhode Island. The design incorporates traditional and modern elements meant to represent strength, prosperity, and sovereignty. It features the four directional colors of a medicine wheel, while the collar is inspired by a wampum necklace, traditionally crafted from quahog shells and once used as a form of currency. Vanderhoop wore the jersey, which reads “Still Here” across the back, during his performance.
“In all my days I never thought that I would see somebody standing on the field in front of the Red Sox singing an Indian song,” Vanderhoop said. “I hope that there are some kids out there, boys and girls, looking and hearing and saying, ‘Oh wow, yeah, that’s us. That’s who I come from.’”
Red Sox infielder Anthony Seigler was also on the field, the second-ever Major League Baseball player of Navajo descent. And ceremonial first pitch was thrown by a pair of dedicated leaders in the Native American and American Indian communities. Also on the field was Brian Curley, a pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks and a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, based in South Dakota.
In an interview with New England Sports Network, Seigler expressed pride in the support of the Navajo community and his part in the celebrations in Boston.
“I feel really honored, especially to play in a great city like this,” Seigler said. “Having a whole Navajo Nation behind me is really special … I know a lot of people at the Navajo Nation want some type of recognition, and for me to be able to be something like that for them and then to also have a day over here in a city like this is awesome and fun to be a part of.”
Vanderhoop was proud of Seigler for representing on the field. “It’s a joy to me whether they’re on the Sox or whether they’re on the Diamondbacks. You represent us, and I want you to play your best, and I wish you luck,” Vanderhoop said. “But, go Soxs!”
Although it was a close game, starting at 4:15 pm Wednesday, the Red Sox ultimately lost 7-6 to the Diamondbacks.
Still, Vanderhoop was proud to represent the Wampanoag people of Aquinnah on a national stage. “The fact of the matter is, we are still here. We’re in our homeland. We still have our culture. We still know who we are. We still represent our ancestors. We are still here,” Vanderhoop said, echoing the special jersey he wore during his performance.
