In its first land purchase in more than a decade, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) has added 17 acres to its approximately 480 acres of land holdings. The $1.15 million property at 4 State Road in Aquinnah includes eight lots and abuts the Wampanoag tribal building property on Black Brook Road.

According to property listings, the asking price was $1.4 million and the land has enough frontage on State Road to develop several lots. The land includes a 1,970-square-foot summer house, along with wooded areas. The property was assessed last year by the town of Aquinnah at $819,000.

The tribe took ownership of the property from Toad Rock Road LLC on Dec. 30. Tribal planner and grantsman Durwood Vanderhoop said Thursday that the previous owners had lived in Aquinnah for many years.

Speaking to the Gazette by conference call with Durwood Vanderhoop, tribal chairman Tobias Vanderhoop said the tribal council has not yet decided on how the property will be used. “It’s such a large piece of property that it could have several uses,” he said. “Any of the uses will certainly be for the greatest benefit of our tribal citizens.

“This property is contiguous to a large parcel of our land and it made sense when it became available for purchase that it was an appropriate piece to acquire,” he said. The purchase was funded primarily by a federal trust fund set up for the purpose of land acquisition when the tribe was first recognized in 1987.

The tribe currently controls about 500 acres in trust, including the recent purchase. But Durwood Vanderhoop said that less than 100 acres of that land is suitable for development.

He said the house on the property is not insulated but is in relatively good condition. “I would think that we would find some use for it,” he said.

Each of the eight lots was part of an original set-off for tribal members in the 1800s. Durwood Vanderhoop noted that every parcel can be traced back to native land. He believed the tribe’s most recent land purchase was around 2001 or 2002.

“I think the most exciting part of it is that we are increasing our homeland,” Tobias Vanderhoop said of the new acquisition. “And that gives us an opportunity to create benefits for our tribal members to be able to come home and enjoy more of the spaces they belong to.”

Durwood Vanderhoop added: “I think the tribe and Indian people for many years have been on the other end of that spectrum. We have been losing more land than comes back to us. And that wears on people. So to be able to share with our folks that we are expanding our land base — for any number of reasons — I think that’s a good morale boost all around.”