Members of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) headed down to the bogs to celebrate Cranberry Day, a longstanding harvest tradition for the Vineyard’s Native American tribe. The day ended with a potluck dinner.
The town of Aquinnah today delivered a cease and desist letter to the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), warning it to halt any work on a gaming hall because the tribe lacks a town building permit and such a project is prohibited by local zoning bylaws.
The chairman of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) announced that work will begin soon to convert a tribal community center into a gambling hall. Selectmen will hold a special executive session Monday.
With the distant ocean as a backdrop, members of tribal communities from throughout New England gathered at the Aquinnah Circle this weekend for the 10th annual Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) powwow.
The 16-page complaint filed in the state Supreme Judicial Court claims the tribe breached a 1983 land claims settlement agreement by taking steps to allow gaming in Aquinnah.
With an election set for this month to decide the top leadership post at the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) for the next three years, tribal members will face a clear choice: stay the course with a tribal chairman who has been at the helm for the past six years, or choose a new leader who is pitching the need for openness and change.
Follow the drumbeats, the hum of singing and the waft of food up to the Aquinnah Circle this weekend as the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) celebrates their 25th anniversary of federal recognition at their eight annual powwow.
Festivities take place Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with The Grand Entry, a procession of tribal members from across the New England area, starting at noon on Saturday.
In the view of Aquinnah police chief Doug Fortes, the turning point came in the fall of 1999, when rangers from the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay
Head (Aquinnah) came back from a trip to the Oneida Indian Nation in upstate New York, packing a half dozen Glock nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistols.
The Aquinnah building inspector filed a lawsuit this week against
the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) to test the question of
whether the tribe must follow local zoning rules.
"A genuine controversy exists on this issue requiring judicial
guidance," wrote Aquinnah town counsel Ronald H. Rappaport in the
complaint.
