The Native American Wampanoag peoples have inhabited the South-Eastern area of Massachusetts for hundreds of years. They consist of many different tribes, including the Mashpee tribe of Cape Cod, the Nantucket tribe of Nantucket Island and the Aquinnah (or Gay Head) tribe of Martha’s Vineyard.
The website I have chosen to evaluate is that of the Aquinnah tribe, which includes a page dedicated to their history, beliefs and culture. It states that the ‘ancestors of Wampanoag people have lived for at least 10,000 years at Aquinnah (Gay Head) and throughout the island of Noepe (Martha's Vineyard), pursuing a traditional economy based on fishing and agriculture. The Aquinnah Wampanoag share the belief that the giant Moshup created Noepe and the neighboring islands, taught our people how to fish and to catch whales, and still presides over our destinies.’
The page moves on to talk about the Aquinnah's more recent history involving European settlers and the impact that they had upon its land and people. When considering the treatment of the Native American people by both early settlers and (later on) non-Native Americans, it is surprising that when talking of the European settlers and their impact on the Aquinnah tribe, the website seems rather impartial.
It states that ‘Some 400 years ago Europeans reached Noepe in sufficient numbers to leave a record, and by the 1700's there were English settlements over most of the island. Our presence was quickly felt, and between, the dislocation from land dealings, and the influence of disease, our populations were reduced and our territories constricted… Aquinnah being the most populous and organized, we were able to maintain control over our land, despite intense efforts by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to end our existence. Over the past 100 years more and more native land has been lost as changes in the local economy forced tribal members to sell their lands, move to other parts of the island, or to leave the island altogether… Throughout it all we remain a sovereign tribe.'
Although here it clearly states that the tribe has suffered at the hands of non-Native Americans, it is not done in an angry or accusing way as one might expect. It seems to take a relatively neutral perspective on the history of the tribe, even stating that 'throughout it all we remain a sovereign tribe'.
The website doesn't provide any real information on the current situation of the Aquinnah people other than talking about the governance and lands. It states that ‘The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) became a federally acknowledged tribe on April 10, 1987 through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).’ and that 'In accordance with 1987 Settlement Act with the federal government there are approximately 485 acres of Tribal Lands purchased (160 acres private and approximately 325 acres common lands). The common lands include the Gay Head Cliffs, Herring Creek, and Lobsterville, and the private lands include parcels I, IIA, IIB, and III (see map). Other land owned by the Tribe include parcels in Christiantown and Chappaquiddick.'
As a whole the website provideds a lot of information on how the Aquinnah tribe have evolved since early European settlement and this information is presented in such a way that avoids any bias, in turn allowing the tribe to remain independent.
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