Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) flags were raised for the first time at both the Chilmark School and at the West Tisbury School on Wednesday to the steady rhythm of drums and song.
The flag is emblazoned with an image of Moshup, the legendary giant who, according to Wampanoag creation myths, smashed a whale against glacial sediment thus creating the Elizabeth Islands, Noman’s Land, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
“This is very meaningful to us as a tribe,” said Kevin Devine, chairman of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), who attended both ceremonies.
During the ceremony conducted at the Chilmark School earlier, Brad Lopes, the education manager for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and the education and public program manager for the Aquinnah Cultural Center, recounted the tribe’s history on the Island and read a statement written by tribal chief F. Ryan Malonson.
“When our chief was a young child, he went to the school [here] before going to West Tisbury,” Mr. Lopes said at the Chilmark School dedication. “He wanted to share the experience he had in both schools as a young child of Gay Head and how being sent off to school for the first time was a challenge.”
In his statement, Chief Malonson recounted the history of the Island and the tribe: “10,000 years ago Martha’s Vineyard was not even an Island, it was an elevated portion of an extensive coastline that extended more than 70 miles out into the Atlantic Ocean….Moshup’s den was the first school in Aquinnah. Each day, Moshup would gather all his children to teach them how to maintain a good life. He was the first teacher in a continuously run school, of which I was the last teacher….I’m humbled to know that our tribal flag will be raised for our young people, and we can acknowledge that we are part of the greater community.”
Wednesday’s ceremonies marked the second and third instances in which the Wampanoag tribal flag was raised alongside the flag of the United States at a school in Massachusetts. A flag was also raised by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe at the Quashnet School in Mashpee in 2021.
“The raising of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) tribal flag represents a symbolic commitment by the school and the tribe to honor an accurate comment on history and culture in school curriculum,” Mr. Lopes said.
For members of the tribe of Aquinnah, raising the flag was a cumulative event, signifying all the work that has been done to create a better community for all, Mr. Lopes added.
“It was just a beautiful reciprocal experience to work on this together and develop these very close relationships with both Chilmark and West Tisbury schools,” he said.
While the flag was being raised at the Chilmark School, Durwood Vanderhoop, Tobias Vanderhoop and James Moreis sang the tribe’s anthem. Then Mr. Lopes and principal Kate Squire signed a statement of commitment to signify the occasion and ensure that the communities continue to work together.
“We feel very honored to be entrusted with the flag, and we are going to take the responsibility of that very seriously every single day,” Ms. Squire said.
Later in the day, at the West Tisbury School, a group of eighth graders who are members of the tribe and are preparing to graduate from the elementary school helped raise the flag.
“It was nice getting to put up the flag and be able to participate because these are some of the first schools in the state to hang Native American flags,” said Lewis Moore, a Wampanoag tribe member and student at the West Tisbury School.
West Tisbury School principal Donna Lowell-Bettencourt said the event signified a partnership between the school and the tribe.
“It was really special for [the students] and also for the families that were there, many of whom had come through the Chilmark School, the Menemsha School or the West Tisbury School,” Ms. Lowell-Bettencourt said.
Ms. Lowell-Bettencourt noted that an exception to the town’s flag policy was proposed to authorize the school to raise the Wampanoag tribal flag. But instead of approving it as an exception to policy, the board decided to amend the policy altogether to allow for the tribe’s flag to be flown, she said.
“Flying this tribal flag would not only honor the sovereignty of the Wampanoag Nation but would also be an educational symbol for our students, reminding them daily of the importance of respect, inclusion and historical awareness,” Ms. Lowell-Bettencourt’s statement to the board read. “It would offer a visible sign of our community’s commitment to recognizing and celebrating the people whose heritage continues to shape Martha’s Vineyard.”
This article appears in May 29, 2026.