Today we recognize Noepe as the homeland of the Aquinnah Wampanoag. With gratitude and respect, this guide shares how visitors and locals can learn about, protect, and celebrate Wampanoag culture year-round.
📜 Wampanoag Continuity on Noepe
Homeland: Noepe, specifically the western headland of Aquinnah
Population: ~1,300 enrolled members
Federal Recognition: Restored in 1987 after generations of advocacy
Governance: Tribal Council and and elected leadership
Cultural Hub: Aquinnah Cultural Center (ACC) — located at the historic Vanderhoop Homestead, featuring exhibits, oral histories, and seasonal programming led by tribal members.
Language Revival: Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project (WLRP) — founded by Jessie Little Doe Baird, bringing back the Wôpanâak language
Ongoing Initiatives: Land and marine conservation, youth cultural education, and the preservation of ceremonies
This post was last Updated October 5, 2026.
🪶 2026 Updates
Here are some of the recent developments worth knowing about:
Land return + stewardship efforts expand: In 2026, two significant efforts moved forward around returning ancestral land to Wampanoag stewardship. The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) proposed acquiring approximately 51 acres of town-owned land, much of it around Aquinnah Circle, with town and tribal leaders also discussing possibilities for co-stewardship. Separately, the Wampanoag women-led Aquinnah Land Initiative publicly launched its broader land-back mission, beginning with the former Aquinnah Shop property at 27 Aquinnah Circle. The nonprofit is working to raise $8 million to purchase, restore and care for the property while exploring additional ways to return and protect Wampanoag ancestral land across Noepe.
Growing ancestral foods and traditional crops: The Aquinnah Cultural Center expanded its agricultural work in 2026, with gardens at Stillpoint, behind Aquinnah Town Hall and at Island Grown Initiative. The work includes growing ancestral crops such as the rediscovered Aquinnah bean and white flint corn while creating more opportunities for tribal members to reconnect with traditional foodways and land-based practices.
Protecting the Aquinnah Cliffs: In fall 2025, the tribe received its first Massachusetts Coastal Resilience Grant—$382,109—to study erosion, storms and sea-level rise at the Aquinnah Cliffs in partnership with Tufts University. The project will create a bluff-stability model and explore ways to protect the culturally and environmentally significant landscape.
Aquinnah Headwaters moves forward: Kinship Heals, an Indigenous-run nonprofit founded by Wampanoag women, is developing Aquinnah Headwaters: A Source of Healing & Restoration, a residential healing center for Native women and children who have experienced domestic and sexual violence. The Martha’s Vineyard Commission unanimously approved the project in August 2026; when completed, it is expected to become Massachusetts’ first Native-run shelter of its kind.
🌾 Traditions That Continue Today
Aquinnah Wampanoag Powwow (early September): The Tribe’s largest annual gathering takes place each fall at Aquinnah Circle. Dancing, drumming, food, and crafts fill the weekend, celebrating community and cultural continuity. Visitors are welcome but are asked to follow arena etiquette.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day (mid October): Each year, the Island gathers at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary for a free celebration hosted by Sassafras Earth Education in collaboration with Wôpanâak speakers, drummers, and musicians.
Cranberry Day (mid October): A harvest tradition dating back centuries, when tribal members gather to pick cranberries, cook over open fires, and share food and stories. It’s primarily a community celebration, sometimes observed privately, and stands as one of the Island’s oldest living traditions.
Wampanoag Artisans Fairs (spring and fall): Held twice a year in Aquinnah, these juried markets feature beadwork, wampum jewelry, wood carving, textiles, and traditional foods by Wampanoag artists. The fairs are small but deeply meaningful. It’s one of the best ways to purchase directly from Indigenous makers and support year-round livelihoods.
👩🏽🎓 Cultural Life & Learning
These programs are community-based and primarily for tribal members and their families, but they’re an important part of understanding how Wampanoag culture continues to thrive today.
Tribal Youth Group: Open to students in grades 9–12, the Tribal Youth Group plans community events, conferences, and cultural trips that build leadership and connection to heritage.
Cultural Nights: Family-friendly evenings hosted by the Tribe and the Aquinnah Cultural Center where members gather to share traditional arts, food, and stories. These informal gatherings help pass down lifeways through hands-on learning.
Language Lives: The Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project (WLRP) continues to restore and teach the Wampanoag language through classes, youth programs, and community gatherings. The project’s success has inspired other Indigenous language revivals across the country.
Sassafras Earth Education (Aquinnah): A Wôpanâak-led nonprofit offering land-based education, summer camps, and Indigenous awareness programs for children and teens. Sassafras centers connection to nature, intergenerational teaching, and equity—providing full tuition support for Wôpanâak, First Nations, and BIPOC youth.
For visitors: If you’re visiting when the ACC is closed for the season, you can also learn more history at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum. The ongoing gallery One Island, Many Stories introduces Island history and includes Wampanoag connections across its themes.
🛒 Support Native-Owned on MV
Supporting Native-owned businesses and artisans is one of the most meaningful ways to honor Wampanoag culture year-round. Here are a few island spots to know (check seasonal hours before visiting):
Aquila — Native-owned coffee and retail shop with locations at the Aquinnah Cliffs and YMCA. Known for partnerships with community spaces.
Gay Head Store — Wampanoag-owned general store and snack stop at the Circle; pick up staples, sandwiches, and locally made goods.
Hatmarcha Gifts — Wampanoag-owned boutique offering handmade jewelry, beadwork, and gifts.
More at the Circle — Bowen’s Arrow, Cliffhangers, Stony Creek Gifts, Island Naturals, and individual Wampanoag artists featured through the ACC’s Shop Our Community list.
The Tribe also continues to pursue economic sovereignty through development projects, including a proposed Class II gaming facility in Aquinnah. While construction remains on hold pending local permitting, the initiative reflects broader conversations around tribal self-determination and sustainable opportunity on Island.
📚 Reading List by Native Islanders
Joseph Lee (Aquinnah Wampanoag), Nothing More of This Land — A personal/community lens on sovereignty and identity rooted partly on MV.
Carrie Anne Vanderhoop, Wôpanâak Seasons — A child’s-eye tour of the seasons in Aquinnah (Neope).
Linda Coombs (Aquinnah Wampanoag), Colonization and the Wampanoag Story — Clear, accessible context for families and classrooms.
Jannette Vanderhoop, Cranberry Day: A Wampanoag Harvest Celebration — A picture-book window into the holiday’s meaning.
Stacy Elizabeth Hall (illus. Jannette Vanderhoop), The Legend of Katama: The Creation Story of Dolphins — A Vineyard-centered Wampanoag legend for middle-grade readers and up.
This list is not exhaustive. Many more titles by Wampanoag and Indigenous MV authors are sold locally (often self-published) at the MV Museum, Bunch of Grapes, Edgartown Books, and directly via the ACC.
🤝 Visiting with Respect
Visiting Wampanoag land is an opportunity to listen, learn, and move with care.
At Powwow, listen first—stand quietly during prayers, and follow all requests from the emcee. Ask permission before photographing dancers or ceremonies.
When visiting the Cliffs, stay on marked paths and heed signage; these are sacred places, not just scenic ones.
And whenever possible, buy directly from Indigenous artists and vendors, supporting the hands and stories behind the work.
True respect means recognizing that you’re a guest on living, sovereign land.
*Editor’s note: I’m learning and listening—if I missed something or misframed a detail, please send a kind note and I’ll update promptly.
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Wonderful post!