Aquinnah’s young people are a renewable tribal energy source, the annual spring social potluck showed last Sunday.

The annual event was sponsored and organized by members of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) youth program.

Featuring traditional Wampanoag singing and dancing and a 20-foot-long potluck food table, the event drew more than 125 celebrants to tribal headquarters, including youth groups from the Mashantucket Pequot, Mashpee, Mohegan and Narragansett tribes.

“We drew 40 people to a first-ever youth tour of tribal lands on Saturday and that no doubt helped swelled attendance on Sunday,” said longtime youth group mentor Kristina Hook-Leslie, who is also program assistant at the human services department.

While attendance, even under brooding skies, was up substantially from prior years, perhaps the most heartening aspect was the emergence of new youth leadership to succeed a gifted youth group team led by Tiffany Smalley, now at Harvard University, Christopher Manning, a freshman at Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Matthew Scott, a freshman at Dartmouth College.

Last fall, Ms. Hook-Leslie said the challenge was to develop the next generation of youth leadership for the regenerated tribal youth programs.

“We did some shaping and they really stepped up,” she said, noting the efforts of youth group president Sophia Welch, vice president Jeffrey Duarte, secretary Thomas Fantasia and treasurer James Hakenson.

“If we want our youth to grow together it’s important to start them working together,” said Ms. Hook -Leslie.

Ms. Welch shared the sentiment.

“Our youth group participated in the fall powwow last fall and we learned a lot about how much work is involved in communicating and planning, invitations, transportation and housing for an event,“ Ms. Welch said Sunday.

“We understood it is a really big responsibility and we came together like a new family,” she said, crediting the efforts of youth program members Michael Sellitti, Serel Garvin, Zachary Smalley and Spencer Booker Jr.

Newly elected tribal leader Cheryl Andrews-Maltais had pledged renewed focus on tribal culture and on youth programs in her campaign last fall.

“I think we’re making huge strides compared with the past handful of years, The changes are good. Cheryl’s entrance has brought more attention to the kids,” Ms. Hook -Leslie said.

The tribal cultural renewal also brought pastor Marcia Buckley of the Apostolic House of Prayer in Oak Bluffs and 11 of her flock to the potluck for the first time.

“I’m a tribal member and I feel it’s important to include the larger community in tribal life. I guess you’d say this is both a personal and pastoral mission,” she said.

Justin Scott’s tall and ancient stovepipe hat was a sartorial standout that also underlined the sense of youth carrying tribal traditions to the next generation.

“This was my grandfather’s hat. He gave it to me,” said Mr. Scott, a Connecticut Mohegan tribal youth group member. Mr. Scott attended with seven other members of his tribal youth group.