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) 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.

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.