The Wampanoag (Wôpanâak) are Northeastern Woodlands people whose historical territory included parts of what is now southeastern Massachusetts and eastern Rhode Island, including the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.
Before European colonization in the 17th century, there were as many as 40,000 Wampanoag inhabiting sixty-seven villages, extending from Wessagusset (Weymouth) to Cape Cod, and southeast to Pokanocket (Bristol and Warren, Rhode Island). It is believed that the Wampanoag had inhabited this territory for more than 12,000 years.
The Wampanoag moved seasonally between fixed sites, living in a variety of different structures based on the season and the length of time they intended to stay in one place. They built dome-shaped homes, known as wigwams or wetus. Made from bent saplings and large sheets of bark, some of these were large enough to accommodate multiple families. While winter wetus would be covered by thick layers of bark, providing insulation, thinner layers were used in summer wetus. Longhouses were also used. They were larger, more permanent dwellings. Built with saplings and covered with bark, they could be used to house multiple families and were also used for social gatherings. Bark houses were similar to longhouses but made from a single piece of bark shaped into a cone shape and secured with poles. Used in the summer season, they were often placed near the wooded coast, where they were used for seasonal fishing and food gathering.
While the Wampanoag people relied on hunting, fishing, and gathering, they also cultivated such crops as corn, beans, and squash.
The Wampanoag translated their name as "people of the first light." Wampanoag probably derives from Wapanoos, which appears on a 1614 map, the earliest representation of the Wampanoag territory.
Historic Wampanoag sub-tribes included the Assawompsett Nemasket, the Assonet, the Aquinnah (Gay Head), the Chappaquiddick, the Nantucket, the Nauset, the Mashpee, the Patuxet, the Pokanoket (Seaconke), the Pocassets, and the Herring Pond.
The traditional language of the Wampanoag was Wôpanâak, a dialect of the Massachusett language, one of the Algonquian languages. The first Bible published in America was a 1663 translation into Wôpanâak by missionary John Eliot. He created an orthography that he taught to the Wampanoag, many of whom became literate, using Wampanoag for various documents.
Efforts are currently underway to revive the Wampanoag written and spoken language. The Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project began in 1993, and Mashpee High School developed a course teaching the language in 2018.
As might be expected, European colonization brought significant challenges to the Wampanoag people. Epidemics killed several of the Wampanoag people, and King Philip's War resulted in the loss of about forty percent of the surviving Wampanoag, bringing their numbers down to about 400. After the War, others were sold into slavery in Bermuda, the West Indies, or on New England plantations.
Reservations were established for the remaining Wampanoag and members of neighboring tribes, but these were soon taken away.
Today, there are two federally recognized tribes of Wampanoag people. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is based in Massachusetts, while the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head is on Martha's Vineyard. Additionally, there are some unrecognized Wampanoag tribes. These include the Chappaquiddick Wampanoag Tribe on Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts, the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and the Pocasset Wampanoag Tribe, also in Massachusetts.
This portion of our web guide focuses on the Wampanoag people. Online resources for Wampanoag tribes, recognized or unrecognized, are appropriate for this category, as are Wampanoag enterprises, schools, medical facilities, museums, events, or other entities or informational sites. Businesses owned or operated by individual Wampanoag people could also be listed here.
Recommended Resources
ACC is a non-profit museum and educational center in Aquinnah, Massachusetts, dedicated to preserving and promoting Aquinnah Wampanoag history, culture, and contributions to Martha's Vineyard. Founded in 1998, it is housed in the restored Edwin DeVries Vanderhoop homestead, built by Edwin DeVries, a Wampanoag-Surinamese American. Its board, staff, and information about the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, along with its programs and contacts, are set forth.
https://www.aquinnah.org/
Chappaquiddick Wampanoag Tribe
The Chappaquiddick Tribe of the Wampanoag Indian Nation is an unrecognized tribe that claims descendency from the core families of Brown, Curtis, Epps, Freeman, Handy, Healis, and Rocker. All other family names are branches of these seven. The website presents the history of the Chappaquiddick Wampanoag Tribe, including its efforts to regain recognition as a tribe. It introduces its council, enrollment policies, a calendar of events, and contacts.
https://www.chappaquiddickwampanoag.org/
Claiming descent from the Wampanoag people, the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe is an unrecognized tribe that is currently registered as a non-profit organization known as the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribal Council, Inc. Affiliated with the National Congress of American Indians, the organization was formed in 1997. Featured is a historical timeline, an overview of wellness services or resources, general information about the tribe, leadership bios, and contact data.
https://www.herringpondtribe.org/
Mashpee Middle-High School is a public high school in Mashpee, Massachusetts, situated at the intersection of Old Barnstable Road and Route 151. While not a tribal-operated school, Mashpee is the headquarters and home to most members of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. It hosts a Wampanoag language immersion school called "Wôpanâôt8ây Pâhshaneekamuq," serving preschool and kindergarten students. Its Indian education program is highlighted, along with Mashpee Wampanoag tribe flyers.
https://www.mpspk12.org/
Formerly known as the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribal Council, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is one of two federally recognized tribes of Wampanoag people in Massachusetts. Recognized in 2007, the tribe is headquartered in Mashpee on Cape Cod. This section highlights tribal councils, meeting schedules, judicial branches, and departments and provides an overview of cultural issues, past leaders, and upcoming events. Job opportunities are posted on the site.
https://mashpeewampanoagtribe-nsn.gov/
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Education Department
The MWT Education Department provides programs that nurture the positive social and academic development of the tribal community's youth and adults. The Department works with schools, colleges, and other educational, cultural, and social institutions to explore approaches to providing holistic, community-based education programs. Featured programs are outlined, resources for parents, students, and teachers are available, and an event calendar is included.
https://mashpeewampanoageducation.org/
PPLT is a tribally-led non-profit organization charged with reconnecting communities of American Indian tribes, clans, urban Indians, and Indigenous people across the Northeast. Its repatriation claims aim to reclaim ancestral lands for the Pocasset Wampanoag Tribe of the Pokanoket Nation and to support other tribes in regaining land across New England, conserving natural habitats, wildlife, and waterways, and promoting responsible and regenerative uses.
https://www.pocassetlandtrust.org/
Pocasset Wampanoag Tribe of the Pokanoket Nation, The
While unrecognized by either federal or state governments, the Pocasset Wampanoag Tribe of the Pokanoket Nation claims the sacred sites and artifacts of the Pocasset Wampanoag Tribe of the Pokanoket Nation as its ancestral lands and possessions. This section provides an introduction to the organization and its claims, along with photographs, videos, and information about sacred sites, collaborations, and people who have passed away. Tribal business and satellite office contacts are provided.
https://pocassetpokanoket.com/
Pokanoket Tribe / Pokanoket Nation
The Pauquunaukit Wampanoag, anglicized as Pokanoket, is an Indigenous group in present-day Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Prior to European colonization, the Pokanoket led the tribal groups that make up the modern-day Wampanoag. Based in Bristol, Rhode Island, the Council of Seven Royal House of the Pokanoket Tribe of the Pokanoket Nation is featured, along with the individual characteristics of the Pokanket Tribe clans (Wolf, Deer, Turtle, Snipe, and Bear).
https://pokanokettribe.com/
Based in Aquinnah, on the southwest tip of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) is a federally recognized tribe of Wampanoag people. The tribe was federally recognized in 1987 after its land claim on Martha's Vineyard was settled by an act of Congress, with agreement from the state and the U.S. Department of Interior. Wampanoag history, culture, and cultural facilities are introduced, along with its governmental structure, departments, and contacts.
https://wampanoagtribe-nsn.gov/
Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project, The
Formed in 1993 under the direction of Jessie "Little Doe" Baird, who earned a Master's Degree in Algonquin Linguistics from MIT, the project is the collaborative effort of members of the Assonet Band of Wampanoag, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah, and the Herring Pond Band of Wampanoag. Its mission is to return language fluency to the Wampanoag Nation as a principal means of expression for the Wampanoag people. Its programs and shopping page are included.
https://www.wlrp.org/
