WampaGate

Once again, the petition was NOT for a recall. The petition is to call a special meeting for the council to answer specific questions.

As you say, Peter, there are about 1500 hundred members of the tribe. You also say(in other stories)that the opposition to the tribal council is a large group. If that is the case, then why would it be so diificult for them to gather 100 signatures? This would represent only 10% of the enrolled voters(estimate based on assumed # of minors and those "declared mentally incompetent.") And as far as the "spiritual kinfolk" that you refer to, Idon't think so.

You are right "curiouswamp". The petition was to call a special meeting to discuss 4 items in particular. It had nothing to do with a recall. We may have to pull the tapes.

Ps. When is Paul Mills going to step up and act like a judge. What is his background anyway? Does he have a backgroung in anything law related besides breaking it?

TWG - People are afraid of the retaliation involved from the council. If the council is going to this extent to disqualify a petition, what will they do when it comes to giving the brave individuals who dare to sign a petition any benefits. Desire Moreno has devised a letter and is going door-to-door to have individuals sign to have their names removed from the list. What is she afraid of? Does she think the community is that disconnected and not talking abount her latest tactics? Tribal members are watching and waiting for the Feds to do their job.

wamptruth, what are the four items to be discussed?

Even an outsider can appreciate how stressful a time this has become for the clan-family. If reports are to be believed, your due process has been hijacked, and even more members expelled. I must wonder- what purpose is served bya few clinging to power so desperately? In the 10,000 years of the clan's existence, it wasn't wealth that sustained you. it wasn't casino jobs that sustained you, it has ALWAYS been the love of the clan-family that has sustained you! Without the love & respect of your clan behind it, any power will be fleeting & of no lasting significance!
The light from this proud moment in Mashpee history will shine brightly for countless generations who will follow. When your children's children are attracted to the light & draw close to read the story of this time, what will it say about each of you?

I pray that each of you looks into your hearts carefully & quietly, before making good choices about moving the tribe forward into its next 10,000 years; History WILL remember you all!

Well said deltaman. However, I have to wonder just how much of an influence the possibility of a casino has on the future of the tribe? Given all the recent turmoil and potential criminal mischief, it begs the question about motives and money. I hope that cooler heads prevail and they get this sorted mess fixed.

Better for the tribe to rid itself of the few bad apples than for their malign influence to continue. What is happening does not reflect poorly on the Wampanoag as a whole, who remain as decent as when they saved the Pilgrims from starvation. They will emerge from this stronger, because they've been through far worse.

Jack, I hope that nothing in my observation suggests that the entire clan should be stigmatized by actions of a few (although I'm well-aware there are those who disagree). Also, for the most part, any additional "blame" still remains to be determined & assigned. I'm only encouraging each member of the tribe to consider their own contribution to the Mashpee clan's long & distinguished history, and I invited each to ask - -

"Are my actions today promoting the values that have always sustained the clan? Will my actions today cause my descendants to be proud of me? When my children- and their children, down thru time - look into the eyes of others from their own generation, will they see respect or scorn reflected back at them, based on what the clan's history says about MY actions & contributions in my time?

Deltaman, how do you truly know if your actions are correct. What crystal ball is able to look into the future and let you know your actions are correct? When your heart tells you you need to help to protect future generations and the faces put before you show scorn. When you realize the role you choose is going to mean being an outcast amongst people you truly love for the rest of your life and may also cause the same pain for your children and grandchildren. When you know you are financially able to survive without help from the tribe, but the tribe will not survive if it continues on the current path. When you wake up thinking tribal, fall asleep thinking tribal.. how do you actually know what is right? The chiefs from long ago knew what they were saying when they referred to a “heavy heart”.

CuriousWamp, what you say is true; this is not my cause, yet my heart is heavy because I see how current conflicts are affecting your clan - how wrenching it must be for the parent called to choose son over daughter; how terrifying, if a child is expected to side with one parent. How awful to have no choice that doesn't look disloyal to some clan member! (Right now, even making no choice is choosing…) That's why I spoke mostly to those who have the power to stop dividing the clan - And I also mean those outside the tribal government, who have earned great respect over years - you still have the power to steer the clan towards a consensus, and it is wrong to ignore any power you may have to bring folks back-together. Don't bemoan the lack of a crystal ball - there's 10,000 years of wisdom to guide your choices, yet with all the "noise" that surrounds you, it's difficult to also hear the gentler, important truths whispering from the winds of time. Some of you may be faced with unique, difficult choices, but I believe that you will all make the right choice when it respects the clan.

Peter, since you acknowledged on the 20th that this petition was not for recall, why did you make the same false statement on the 22nd? Can it be the truth doesnt matter to you if it doesnt fit your agenda? just askin

Peter is only here to perpetuate rumors and indulge his own self-importance. Deep down, he doesn't really care what happens to the Mashpee tribe. These stories sell and therefore stroke his ego. He is not a friend to the tribe. Be careful.

Twg, I guess we know who's pocket you're in. By your logic Peter is "selling" an online newspaper which is free, and he's indulging HIS own self by revealing a nest of vipers in YOUR family.
And of course he does all this out in the open while you hide behind an alias.
If you think you're fooling the honest members of the tribe, you are sadly mistaken.
Does TWG stands for "This Would be Glenn"?

TWG, ignorance abounds; 'long as it doesn't get anymore than kneed-deep, just roll-up your pant legs, hold your nose & push-on - I know you want justice too!

washiki, you are correct. Peter did correct himself last week, I remember because I complimented him for his correction. Now why is it that you report the same story that you made corrections to?

Wamp-pride, your recent posts here, reflect that you are also listening to the wisdom spoken by quiet voices in your heart, & not just to the loud voices all around you; as such, you are representing your clan well!

'qotkomiksuwok! - (They are all one tribe!)

My bad!

Intended for my response to Muwin to go here…

(color me red-faced pale-face)

;) You guys make me jealous! I'm going to have to sit in on some of Little Doe's classes so I too can learn the native tongue!!

"Tribal membership is not determined solely by Indian ancestry, according to sources in the tribe, but can also be extended to those considered spiritual kinfolk."
Didn't the tribe membership required for recognition have to be members with ancestry?

Susan, you are correct, yes you must have a percentage of Native blood to be considered a tribal member. Maybe that person was saying you can participate in certain tribal functions without any native blood, spiritually?? Who knows? But to be considered a member and an enrolled member you must have a percentage of Native American Indian blood.

Thanks Wamp-pride. I had wondered a while back if Glen Marshall was actually Wampanoag, or a come lately member with an agenda.

Well both, he is Wampanoag, at least that's what the roll says. But he is also a come lately with an agenda. I am not trying to bad mouth him in any way, shape or form, but I have lived in Mashpee my whole life and have been an active member my whole life, and in 29 years not missed a Powwow, however, I must say, I did not know who GM was until he was already Chairman of the tribe. I do not remember him growing up. I think it has a lot to do with him not being as involved as other tribal members and not acknowledging his heritage until a later point in his life.

As for the petition...I have not seen it and therefore must rely on what I am told. It seems definite that it calls not for a recall but for recognition that the tribe has a right to discuss certain matters with the tribal council. I gladly correct anything that needs correcting.

TWG...you never called to discuss your concerns. Even if I cared nothing about what is going on within the tribe I would still be concerned with the influence of outside money on the tribe...after all...tribal gaming will have an impact on the entire state and region. Now, you can stay in the weeds and throw stones or you can come out the open and we can talk...your choice.

Re: enrollment requirements:
every single person on the roll MUST and DOES tie, lineally, to one of their ancestors on the 1859 Earl Report. This is a census of the Mashpees living home that same year. If anyone thinks that there is a single person on the roll is not Wamp, they are absolutely misinformed. Further, each individual's genealogy is checked and confirmed by the Office of Federal Acknowledgement during the application process for Federal Acknowledgement of the tribes' respective governments. Whichever of my folks are giving Peter false, and outrageous, cultural information, please stop that. While many tribal folks have been reading these bits of misinformation and laughing their butts off at Peter's expense; it is really not helpful to the public's knowledge about the community; hence not helpful to community.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'. Dylan

To Readers:
If you really want some accurate information about the tribe and its history; you can go to Indianz.com to find a summary of the findings in regard to our petition. The actual appliction and accompanying documentation can be obtained by filing a FOI request. But be warned that the documentationis actually over 54,000 pages!! Yikes! The summary of findings is only 187 pages and may answer some cultural questions. One of the problems with sharing cultural info has been that non-Wamps actually have exploited what was shared in any number of ways so many Wamps are now hesitant to share.

wôpanâshqâ I found the ancestry info on your application process on the Fed govt. site. If I recall, it took me a while to get through it all lol At the time I was curious about all I was reading about GM and his Cape Verde past, then claiming Wampanoag. It just didn't make sense that the Fed govt. would just simply take the membership status without proof each member was in fact Wampanoag. However, I still think he was/is, a con man with an agenda who decided to claim his ancestry for dollars. Of course, I've been wrong before ;)

Susan
i don't know what you were reading but each person on our roll has six pieces of documention accomanying their ancestral history. The feds do not just take 'membership status' without proof. If they did, then tribes could easily add any number of heads to their rolls and therefor receive more benefits since most fed. benefits applied for by fed. rec. tribes are based upon the number of individuals on the tribal roll. The federal govt. wants to make darned sure they are not giving any tribe one more red cent that actually necessary and required by fed. law. As to individual tribal citizen's ancestry charts: i don't know what you mean since those charts are each person's personal information and not included in the finding but must be obtained by filing a FOI request. There are not ancestry charts for any of us that have been posted up on the web.

wôpanâshqâ lol I don't know what you were reading! I was agreeing. I had found the LAWS pertaining to ancestry and membership for your application on the Fed site some time ago. Hence the reason I questioned Peter's posting in the first place.
" It just didn't make sense that the Fed govt. would just simply take the membership status without proof each member was in fact Wampanoag."

my previous post got cut off;
" It just didn't make sense that the Fed govt. would just simply take the membership status without proof each member was in fact Wampanoag."

cut off once again....3rd try your out.. here goes; the above quote was followed with; that is why I checked the laws on the Fed. site. I didn't mention "charts" so don't know what you are talking about there. Peace:)

Susan, Wamp-pride, Wôpanâshqâ, CuriousWamp, & others - for weeks, I have prayed (quite literally) that Peace might break-out here, so that we could participate in important discussions about the clan's & this region's future, rather than lobbing bricks across a chasm. I'm grateful that you've all endured the hits, & have moved forward to make this possible!

Still, please remember - "Hope can hurt!" There's sure to be some butt-head that didn't get the memo, & lobs another brick, long-after the cease-fire; I've still got a good supply of gauze & bandages, in case…

Much love to you all; stay strong!

(Sometimes, my Maliseet dictionary fails to readily grasp the essence of what I'd like to convey; when I asked for "Stay Strong" it responded with - "Naci-qecehlan kpayosihkolum! Go try out your bicycle!"

Susan
Thanks for the clarification. Having a conversation via non-verbal medium is always so difficult. i was referring to 'i found the ancestry info on YOUR application'; i took this to mean Mashpee, and you meant any tribe's application. The next comedy of error was my reading of your statement, 'i was reading about GM and his Cape Verde past', and took this to mean that you had read something to that effect in our application documents. my only goal here is to have an affect on information being disseminated in a factual way whenever i actually know the facts. No offense taken and i hope none given.

Deltaôp

maybe, 'kinahantuwin' or 'kinahantuwian'? i am not a maliseet or quoddy speaker so i am not entirely sure of the imperative marker for Animate intransitive verbs. i think i'll go and read up on that some since my little one is down to sleep.

No problem here wôpanâshqâ. I don't type as clearly as mind makes my lips move lol Thank you for your input here.It is sometimes confusing trying to sort out facts from opinions on these blogs and the news papers. Enjoy the afternoon! :)

Wôpanâshqâ, really? I though my dictionary was deliberately choosing to offer me some sage advice on how to enjoy this lovely afternoon!

I apologize for all my poor approximations herein; the Maliseet ~ Passamaquoddy online dictionary of my own people, is the most-robust I've found online, which shares historic linguistic roots with other Algonquian tribes. (Canada appears to have been more pro-active in preserving icons of aboriginal cultures) I'm not attempting to be a smart-aleck; for me, it's been a helpful way to learn about & express some of the values which I believe are shared by the clans which comprised the "people of the dawn"

Wunahtyâôkanut (In Peace) - you taught me to say that!

D-man
okay here goes. And put me soundly in my place when i err so i can learn something. i should say, however, that i picked another verb; the one meaning 'brave, be' so your dictionary wasn't necessarily sending you in the wrong direction.
kinahantuwic, 'be brave! (you singular)'
kinahantuwiq, 'be brave (you plural, y'all)'
kinahantuwihtuc, 'let's be brave!'

a star on the forhead or a thumpin??? either is sometime helpful.

yes peter, you correct it, then tell the same lie again. Why is that?

Oh, Wôpanâshqâ, I expect that you have earned many such "stars" for your forehead along the way; by now, you should have scant need for my approbation. Still would have been nice to have seen a pic of you sporting one, tho…

=+:)

So, howwuzzat?

But I'm embarrassed to learn that you've been doing some of my homework for me; earlier-on today, I opportunistically latched onto my dictionary's variant that urged me to go outside, choosing to ignore several more germane but less-attractive suggestions… Now, you have a fuller sense of my years spent in scholastic turpitude - Busted!!!

=:(

Washiki, you have been previously warned (and presumably raised by a loving family) so I cannot believe that you still are not aware of when your comments are way over the top! To what purpose, I ask then; if you get yourself banned from posting, you'll give-up all opportunity to make useful contributions to the discussions here. Pause long-enough to look around you, and you will see that constructive dialog is replacing flinging epithets & excrement at each other. Please don't waste our time, by attempting to draw any of us back into that way of "Not-Talking!!!"

How was my question over the top...If peter is allowed to post statements that even HE has admitted are not true?

Deltaman
approbation: the approval or consent of something. By all means i am absolutely, morally obliged to you for that whenever i use your language; your birthright, your People's Medicine and would be honored to have any correction in that regard. As to scholastic turpitude; yeah right, try again. Scholarly learning lives on a continuum whereby compassion, imho, is the only paradigm by which to seek knowledge; Hence, you have become a master teacher. i think we all get there eventually. At least this is the ultimate goal even if we forget that with each trip here.

re obtaining tribal membership and proof--have seen several birth certificates, easily enough obtained, that state 'portuguese' and 'cape verdean' as their nationality. now, they are embracing their 'heritage' as wampanoag. birth certificates don't count toward obtaining membership? is just a question re sincerity of certain members regarding tradion and pride in heritage v. dollar signs.

wampcardinwallet,
i think the tribe should find every single Mashpee Wamp who hopped out of their cradles, in the hospital and at home, who listed themselves as anything other than Wamp on their birth certs. and take 'em to Jordin!

Washiki, for a couple of weeks, an amazing amount of contradictory "news" has circulated about "the" petition - so much so, I've been wondering if there wasn't perhaps more than one making the rounds!

Even in less confusing circumstances, if someone get their facts wrong - even if you could PROVE that they'd been negligent, sloppy or forgetful - those still stop far short of lying; to justify making a claim like that, you need to have legal proof that someone KNEW that what they were saying was untrue, at the moment they made some statement, and deliberately said something to unfairly cause injury to another.

Again - incorrect statements made even thru gross negligence, sloppiness or forgetfulness are NOT LIES! Please hang-on to that distinction, our your future years are likely to find you on the losing side of some costly lawsuits…

So, Wunahtyâôkanu to you, Washiki! - Peace! (I just learned to say that today - sometimes, wisdom can arrive just in the nick of time.)

Wôpanâshqâ, I hope that I didn't get the gist of that wrong, 'cuz you just made me blush!
(Thanx… I think.)

Goodness Deltaman. Rule no. 1. Never let on to Mashpee women that you blush easily...or at all. Should you ever come here, they will give you no Peace!!

Actually, Wôpanâshqâ, that blush wasn't "easy" I think you'd been setting me up for it, since early afternoon!

On the other hand, you'd certainly get some good-natured teasing 'round these parts, if you showed-up still wearing that gold star…

Deltaman,
Well i am going to go to bed and look at the news; the only thing that seems to make me blush anymore....well beside embarrassing moments on the Pow wow field. But that's a story for another day.

In the span of 2 days, Peter "mistakenly" called the petition one for recall....the second time after admitting it was not. So, evidently he knew it was an "untruth". According to Webster a lie is an assertion of something known or believed by the speaker to be untrue.

Washiki, you have the tenacious spirit required of a seeker of knowledge; I hope that the World chooses a gentle way to reveal to you, that proving or defending what's contained in the word "evidently" can be the basis for months of courtroom drama - despite the casual way you toss the word around.

To be a seeker of wisdom, you need to also be eager to challenge your own assumptions, and frequently re-examine what you believe to be true, then be strong-enough to admit when you have managed to previously overlook an even greater truth than one you had been clinging to. At this moment, my wisdom tells me that I incorrectly believed that I might convince you of something - I'm grateful to you and the group for your patience while I re-examined my assumptions. Moving forward, I thank you in advance for keeping it civil, even if we can't agree on the value (to you) of also keeping it legal.

(Folks 'round here know that I don't have much of a life since Deltawoman took my car keys away, so I'd be delighted to continue this discussion over a hearty lunch & a beer - if you're buying…)

Deltaman, washiki is correct. I think you were acknowledging that(but I'm not sure). I think he's trying to show readers that Peter has an agenda and will continue to misinform. I do agree that it can be done more subtely, but sometimes emotion and passion gets the best of us (myself included). Washiki, keep up the good work and don't let Peter off easy.

ya know what....take away my "privilege" to post here. Put it on my permanent record. Nobody seems to care what the "great white father" peter does...so you deserve each other.

Delta; I feel everyone on a message board is entitled to express their thoughts, beliefs, and opinions on the subject at hand. Some express by getting right to the point, others have a need to elaborate. Some may be angry, some passive.Some have the gift of word, some do not. Personally, I would rather see washiki's views on the subject however they are expressed,vs the recent off subject personal banter that belongs on an Aol or Yahoo type personal chat site.

TWG & Washiki, sometimes our best choices come from reconciling truths contained in opposing views, While I have frequently been put-off by Peter's style, I'm also convinced that the long view of your tribe's history will show that he has served the clan's interests far-more than he has hurt them. You don't need to know/understand or admire his motives, in order to benefit from his actions; you might even find recent examples of that irony within your own tribe. With apologies to Peter & other reporter/journalists, please consider this analogy: Dung beetles serve a vital role in our ecology, but few people are willing to keep them as pets!

Please believe, I wrestled with those very concerns you're expressing, before making my own choices about what I can "live with" in order to help keep our discussions focused on stuff that's important to the clan's future; I hope that we can now get back to that, with your help & thoughtful participation - I don't want to see anyone's views written-off or excluded. I know that the next few months will be challenging - Keep your eyes on the Prize!

Susan, I have no argument with what you're saying - 'long as discussions follow CCToday rules, ALL viewpoints should be tolerated!

On your 2nd concern, I've noticed that new blog pages often become hosts to several discussions spanning many days, that drift (soar?) off in many directions from the original topic to which they still remain anchored. With so many topics interspersed that way, I find it can be challenging/tedious to sort-out the thread for one topic from all other discussions underway on that page - particularly when I've been away for a while. I think that many discussions here would benefit by allowing participants in a thread to choose to move that thread to it's own "page" rather than having posts on their respective topic get widely-spaced or even submerged by all the other discussion traffic on that same page. To date, I haven't been able to draw "The Editors" attention to this, so I apologize for any of my posts that don't appear germane to your concerns; for my part, even when they are jarring - I eagerly look forward to your thoughtful posts on any topic…

You assume WAY too much Deltaman...this is not MY tribe. So, according to you the ends justify the means? He can say whatever he wants, as long as it furthers YOUR agenda? I am sorry you have had to make a choice as to what you can "live with"...

Washiki, the Mashpee clan has existed for 10,000 years; if mankind as a whole survives another 10,000, I expect the tribe will still be flourishing as well! Soon, Peter, you & I won't even appear as asterisks on this moment in their time. When I 1st found these blogs, I was astounded that the editors tolerated Peter's outrageously biased reportage (imo) & proceeded to track & shout about everything he got wrong. Despite what I once thought to be good powers of persuasion, Peter has remained unwavering & resolute, so all I accomplished was to pump up my blood pressure to the kind of numbers that keep the Goodyear blimp in the air! Other people here then told me that no one with a reasonable amount of intelligence needed me to point-out all this stuff, & when I accepted that possibility & backed-off, the tribe's issues became the focus again - not Peter!

"Making choices" is rarely as comfortable as having it all (like the annual agony over what goes into the yard sale) but that's also part of what makes us wiser & stronger. When experience shows it was a good choice, I'm not sorry…

so, you think it is a good choice to let peter run, unfettered, with any insinuation and innuendo he wants? Who wins in that? Not the people seeking the truth of the situation.

wahiki,

Before Peter came forth with all his innuendo's, what happend to those seeking the truth?

"washiki" sp, sorry

Buzz, if Washiki pauses to look back at today's posts so-far, that will underscore my point of how chatter about personalities detracts from discussion of issues. Personally, I'm relieved to have finally "got the memo" and no-longer consider scalps to be "sports memorabilia."

=;)

If this is not supposed to be about me...why am I mentioned so often? It is not about me...but about a very complicated story of what happens to a group of people (tribe) when big money seeks big advantage for itself at the expense of the group. Whether it is disappointing or interesting is not for me to say, but there is remarkably little comment about what a lot of people know was going on in the tribal treasury.

By my count ther were only seventeen mentions of Peter's name(not counting this one) out of 64 comments and possibly 5000 + words, believe me, you aren't being mentioned that often, especially since you are the author. It is however a very complicated story that you continue to manipulate for your own agenda.