On Monday, Sassafras Earth Education, an Indigenous Wampanoag nonprofit based in Aquinnah, hosted its fifth annual Indigenous Peoples Day event at Felix Neck Wildlife Center.
The afternoon opened with a drumming performance by the Black Brook Singers, followed by remarks from David Two Arrows Vanderhoop, founder of Sassafras Earth Education.
Mr. Vanderhoop began by expressing gratitude for the day and the opportunity to gather in community.
“I want to say that I’m very grateful for this sun today,” he said. “I’m also grateful for waking up this morning, for having the courage to come and face every day doing the best that I can.”
Mr. Vanderhoop then introduced Taj Madison, a member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah (Gay Head), who offered a land acknowledgement and shared an original poem honoring Indigenous land.
“I want to acknowledge all the Indigenous here on this Island, on this continent and across the world,” Mr. Madison said. “I want to acknowledge that here on this Island, we carry on our traditions. We continue to drum. We continue to sing. We continue to dance.”
Mr. Madison emphasized that Indigenous people remain present on Martha’s Vineyard. He said remembering and recognizing their continued presence is essential.
“Sometimes it’s as simple as waking up and in your mind giving remembrance and thanks to the land that you’re on,” he said. “There are a lot of ways to support. Think about how you all can be here, not just for us, but for all Indigenous people.”
Wampanoag Tribe of Chappaquiddick tribal council member Alexis Moreis echoed Mr. Madison’s message, reflecting on Indigenous history and the continued presence of tribal communities, alongside the role language can play in decolonization.
“We make a choice when we’re recognizing a tribal community. To just say someone is a descendant of Wampanoag [people], that’s actually harmful. That’s erasure. You’re not acknowledging that these communities live here,” she said. “Our families continue to live here on the land.”
Throughout the afternoon, speeches from tribal members alternated with musical interludes featuring drumming and flute-playing.
The Black Brook Singers also performed a song composed by Thomas Fantasia, a member of the Aquinnah tribe. Mr. Fantasia said he composed the song in honor of his late mother and all the women in the Wampanoag community.
“My mother was a woman who wasn’t of herself. She was somebody who lived in service of her family and her community, as many of our mothers and grandmothers do throughout the generations,” he said.
The program concluded much like it began: with drumming. Mr. Vanderhoop invited attendees to join hands in a swaying circle around the Black Brook Singers.
“Remember who we are, standing hand in hand, dancing and singing, loving this way of life,” they sang.