With an election set for this month to decide the top leadership post at the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) for the next three years, tribal members will face a clear choice: stay the course with a tribal chairman who has been at the helm for the past six years, or choose a new leader who is pitching the need for openness and change.

Follow the drumbeats, the hum of singing and the waft of food up to the Aquinnah Circle this weekend as the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) celebrates their 25th anniversary of federal recognition at their eight annual powwow.

Festivities take place Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with The Grand Entry, a procession of tribal members from across the New England area, starting at noon on Saturday.

The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) yesterday announced its intention to file a lawsuit against Gov. Deval Patrick, and possibly also the town of Aquinnah, to protect its right to build a casino in southeastern Massachusetts and on the Vineyard.

Scott Crowell, a Washington state attorney who represents the Vineyard Wampanoags, said yesterday the tribe will file a lawsuit on Sept. 3 in federal district court.

As the plan to build a resort-style casino in Southeastern Massachusetts continues to run into roadblocks, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) is quietly moving to complete construction work on the tribal community center in Aquinnah where it wants to open a high-stakes bingo hall.

The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) has vowed to go to federal court if necessary to win the right to build a casino, after Gov. Deval Patrick rebuffed the tribe’s attempt to come to the negotiating table last week.

Claiming the state has the right to regulate gambling on Indian lands, an attorney for the governor wrote in a letter that the Vineyard tribe waived its sovereignty more than 20 years ago when it signed a settlement agreement. But the tribe contends that federal Indian gaming law trumps state law.

The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) has designated three areas in southeastern Massachusetts for potential casino sites and scheduled referendum votes in two of those locations, inching closer to being eligible for a state gaming license.

The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) has jumped into the casino game again and is requesting a referendum vote from the city of Fall River to operate a gaming facility there.

Fall River mayor William A. Flanagan said he received a request from the tribe’s chairman, Cheryl Andrews-Maltais, on Monday for a vote within the next 90 days.

Ms. Andrews-Maltais indicated plans for the gaming project are well underway, Mr. Flanagan said on Tuesday.

The seventh annual Aquinnah Powwow at Aquinnah Circle began Saturday at noon with the Grand Entry, a procession of dancers and drummers. Members of 10 nations were in attendance, and the powwow also honored tribal veterans and elders.

Members of the Narragansett Tribe certainly had the most representation, with Hiawatha Brown as the arena director, head dancers Christian and Leah Hopkins, Dean Stanton, who always has a remarkable style of dance, and members of the Hazard family in attendance.

Wampanoag Powwow

The seventh annual Aquinnah Wampanoag Powwow is taking place this weekend, on both Saturday and Sunday, in the circle at the Cliffs. Gates open at 11 a.m. each day and the grand entry begins at noon.

Throughout the day there will be Native drumming and dancing, plus numerous vendors and food.

The cost is $10 per day for adults, or $15 for a two-day pass, and $5 per day for ages 5 to 18 or $7.50 for a two-day pass. Under age five is free.

Tiffany Smalley yesterday was awarded her undergraduate degree from Harvard University, and with it the distinction of being the first student from the Wampanoag nation to do so since its first Native American graduate, another Vineyarder named Caleb Cheeshateaumuck, graduated in 1665.