This letter was written by citizens of three sovereign Wôpanâak communities; the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) in response to a July 13 letter by Richard Serkey.
The land and waterways
Kutahkeemun is the Wôpanâôt8âôk word for “our land,” which holds deep meaning. The translation of the word is the understanding that the land cannot be separated from our being. That is because it is considered an inalienable noun. Being separated from the land would make one separated from themselves. The land and waterways that Plymouth currently sits on are the homelands of the Wôpanâak/Wampanoag people. This is a historical fact. Acknowledging this is the first step in addressing a long history of complacency and cultural genocide.
A continued existence
Today, Wampanoag citizens remain in Plymouth and Plymouth County. With three continuously meeting historic tribal communities, we form the foundation for the Wampanoag Nation that once constituted at least 69 communities. Centrally located in Bourne with connections to the historic Patuxet and Comassakumkanit Wampanoag communities, the Herring Pond Wampanoag tribe is one of those self-governing, historic sovereign tribal communities. There have always been Wampanoag people present on our ancestral homelands. To claim otherwise or to assert that we are simply descendants of a foregone cultural group ignores our continued existence Furthermore, it displays a continued lack of cultural literacy and understanding on the part of the author, confusing the experiences of European American immigrants with that of the indigenous people of the land and waterways.
A land acknowledgement
Land acknowledgments serve as a meaningful way to recognize the traditional lands of Native American people through honoring our historical and ongoing stewardship and deep connections to the land. These acknowledgments encourage the public to reflect on the past, including the forced removal of indigenous communities from the lands we’ve inhabited.
Land acknowledgments do not carry any legal implications for the town or residents. They are not “gotcha” statements intended to be used as legal fodder for reparations. They are meaningful action steps toward healing and reconciliation. Most cases of land returned through reparations have occurred primarily in areas where acknowledgement of the native peoples and their connection to the land were denied; quite the opposite of what is being proposed by the League of Women Voters. Like any other tribal community, the Wampanoag Nation has the inherent right to claim any land based on our historical connections and sovereignty – regardless of whether a formal acknowledgment exists or not.
Concerns with comments
Addressing concerns about title and community questions regarding a casino, Herring Pond Wampanoag Chairwoman Melissa Harding Ferretti stated, “It’s true that some banks historically held up mortgages due to Native American land claims all over the United States. Mostly on titles that were very clouded, forced, or downright land theft…. like many cases in Plymouth. However, it is essential to recognize that land acknowledgments do not escheat title to anything, nor are they about assigning blame or risk; they are about acknowledging history and fostering understanding.”
“While I understand any opposition to casinos, it’s essential to consider the nuances of casino development. In Connecticut, two major casinos – Foxwoods Resort Casino (owned by the Mashantucket Pequot tribe) and Mohegan Sun Casino (operated by the Mohegan tribe) – were established based on tribal-state compacts and federal recognition. These decisions were made in alignment with tribal sovereignty and community wishes. However, it’s crucial to emphasize that the concerns related to casino development in Connecticut had nothing to do with land acknowledgments. The latter does not grant any specific title rights or permissions; it is simply a respectful acknowledgment of our history…this has gotten way out of proportion.”
“Lastly, I want to clarify that the Herring Pond Wampanoag tribe has neither the desire nor the capacity to build a casino. Our federal status does not grant us that authority and a casino is not in our future. It’s surprising, almost silly that anyone would think a simple land acknowledgment could confer such rights.”
In the July 13 letter, logical fallacies were made that should be addressed, notably that practicing a land acknowledgement would potentially lead to reparations. This constitutes a straw man fallacy as it is not the concern of the effort. A land acknowledgement is the focus of the effort. The slippery slope fallacy is also expressed to lead readers to think that action A (a land acknowledgement) will automatically lead to action B (reparations). This is unfounded and distracts from the main point of conversation.
Second, the author uses false equivalency to compare Pilgrims, a moniker that once adorned English refugees, with Wampanoag people, a living, thriving culture and ethnic group. The “Pilgrims” were a small group of Calvinist religious breakaways, mixed with investors, who were English in cultural origin. Today, although not “Pilgrims” in identity, many Americans take pride in their Pilgrim descendancy. For example, the Mayflower Society today has a membership of at least 31,000, while their former mother country still maintains remnants of its former global empire. The generational wealth possessed by these families is partly possible due to colonial capital plunder.
We are the indigenous citizens of land who have familial ties that go back thousands of years. We are Wampanoag since time immemorial, and long into the future. We are citizens of sovereign tribal nations, not a breakaway religious group or capital investors. Today our nation numbers over 5,000 citizens but once constituted many more. However, what once made us “rich” has long been disturbed by the processes of settler colonialism, and as such we walk in two worlds.
Lastly, the negative comments have displayed a sense of unfounded, preemptive colonial fear that our ancestors came to know Plymouth Colony for. As early as the fall of 1621 in Nemasket, English forces preemptively harmed Wampanoag people with their guns. This would begin a pattern of behavior that continues in some ways until today.
An opportunity for learning
Rather than an opportunity to further descend into unfounded claims, it is our sincere hope that this can be an opportunity to learn and listen to the original peoples of this land and waterways. Plymouth has long struggled with our existence, and it is long overdue that this pattern of continued colonial behavior subsides, and new paths forward continue to not only be explored but supersede antiquated thought.
What tribal nations seek is for the United States, states, and towns to uphold and honor the trust and treaty obligations as well as acknowledge that the United States (and local communities) benefit from the cessation of Tribal lands. The United States achieved a “sea to shining sea” geography due to these cessations and therefore, land acknowledgments before meetings are very small prices to pay.
– Brad Lopes (Aquinnah Wampanoag), Melissa Harding Ferretti, (Herring Pond Wampanoag), Casey Thornbrugh (Mashpee Wampanoag)