The harsh wind and cold on Saturday morning did not deter Islanders who gathered at Lobsterville beach to plant restorative beach grass.

Fresh off two successful elections, Aquinnah resident Jannette Vanderhoop is becoming a name to watch.

Beside the Museum of Fine Art staircase in Boston rests a shimmering statue of Julia Marden holding an eagle feather fan triumphantly above her head.

Jannette Vanderhoop, who was recently elected to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission after running a write-in campaign, will serve her first term as councilwoman after she is sworn in on Jan. 4.

Striped bass have become a focus of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) Natural Resource department as it continues to study the decline of the herring population.

“Hopefully this whole experience will open people’s eyes,” said author Linda Coombs. “This history needs to be told.”

The heartbeat of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) rang out through a performance of the Black Brook Singers at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary on Sunday.

Earlier this week, members of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) made their way past the rolling dunes of Lobsterville Beach to a wild cranberry bog, just as they have done on the second Tuesday of October for centuries. 

Kinship Heals has long-range plans to build a shelter in Aquinnah for victims of domestic violence. In the meantime, the organization recently rented a property in Chilmark to create a healing center.

To the backdrop of music and burning sage, members danced, ate and communed at the annual powwow celebration.