2020 is the 400th Anniversary of the Landing of the Mayflower and is also one of the largest pandemics in our history. The Department of Interior (DOI) chose this time of hardship and confusion to attack the very Native American tribe that helped the Mayflower and its Pilgrim occupants live through their first few years of settling on their territory.
In late March of this year, DOI ruled that to be the “disestablishment” of the Mashpee Wampanoags. Disestablishment of the tribe is taking away land in trust and canceling their rights of sovereignty. The tribe has been organizing to prevent the tearing down of the their tribal headquarters, the dismantling of their tribal police, the closing of the tribal language reclamation Project and school, among other things.
The Mashpee are the largest indigenous and only federally recognized tribe in Massachusetts and are calling out for support to stop their dismantling.
Tribal Website: www.mashpeewampanoagthttps://www.facebook.com/mwtribe/videos/579806562722142/ribe-nsn.gov
Link to video with update:
https://www.facebook.com/mwtribe/videos/579806562722142/
The Mashpee are bringing the Department of Interior to court which has been postponed until May 20, 2020.
The tribe is asking supporters to sign a MoveOn Petition and write to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and your own senators.
MoveOn Petition Link:
Petition in Support of H.R. 312 Mashpee Reservation Reaffirmation Act:
Sample Letter:
https://www.heron-hill.org/post/disestablish-reservation-land
Letters to Department of Interior
Secretary of Interior David Bernhardt
davidbernhardt@ios.doi.gov
Secretary of Interior David Bernhardt, 1849 C Street,N.W. Washington, D.C. 20240
Phone: (202) 208-7960
Letters to Senator Committee of Indian Affairs
https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Senator Chair John Hoeven of North Dakota
Senate Vice-Chair Tom Udall of New Mexico
Committee members: Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, Sen. Martha McSally of Arizona, Sen. Jerry Moram of Kansas, Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, Sen. Brian Schatz, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota
Letters to Massachusetts U.S. Senators
Senator Elizabeth Warren: https://www.warren.senate.gov/?p=email_senator
Senator Edward Markey: https://www.markey.senate.gov/contact
Other Senators: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Court Hearing Now Scheduled for May 20 ! More info here.
https://www.facebook.com/MTVChannel99/videos/1531914300319200/UzpfSTEzNTY5NjgyMzEzNjg5MzozMj
What is tribal sovereignty and what is at risk with the Mashpee reservation disestablishment? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1u3PFJ58sg
