The dynamics of the race for chairman changed dramatically when Aaron Tobey decided to withdraw from the race Thursday and run for treasurer. He pivoted masterfully, endorsing Nelson Andrews, who also pulled his qualifying papers Wednesday. The two pledged unity to bring about change for the beleaguered Tribe. And the government center was abuzz with excitement.

That leaves a head-to-head match-up between the embattled Brian Weeden and the popular Nelson Andrews a rising star in Indian country who’s become a “go to” on a wide range of subjects relating to

Tobey has remained active in tribal affairs. He definitely does not shy away from challenges or work.

management, tribal economic development partnerships and emergency services.
Tobey, meanwhile, has his own distinct profile. As a staunch constitutionalist, he’s credited with preserving the Tribe’s local control by challenging the use of mail-in ballots. He won that fight. So, unlike many other tribes, the Mashpee must vote in person to have a say in government. Tribes using mail-in ballots bemoan the fact that local members lose control to off-reservation members who don’t know the candidates or the issues impacting them.
Tobey has a record that reflects a long list of challenges to wasteful spending violations of ordinances and, of course, the Constitution. He served as the tribal vice chairman and on Council. His motto is “tribe first” reflecting a commitment that has been steady.
Andrews built a cachet of contacts and relationships with tribal leaders that can only help bolster future

Supporters of Andrews say he will get the Tribe on a positive path. His management skills will encourage officers, council members, and staff to work together for a common goal. Restoring confidence in the government will also be a plus.

economic development. His vision extends beyond grant dependence to sustainability based on tribal-run businesses. Apparently, his role as the FEMA liaison to the 10 tribes on the East Coast has helped with those economic development prospects and other beneficial efforts that have been conspicuously absent from the Weeden administration.

Weeden, just recently off probation for the Plymouth Plantation episode, will likely try to take credit for the Welcome Center that was unveiled in Taunton Friday. Let’s be clear, people; for the record, the Child King had nothing to do with any aspect of the slot machine phase of this casino effort. As a matter of fact he has had nothing to do with anything relating to the casino. He does get credit for sitting in the back of the room during meetings, like an observer, silent. We all know who does the work and who does the photo OPS.

On to Bobby, known as The Alleged Treasurer, is an amazing character. He offers the most extraordinary comic relief ever seen. His performance during the Wednesday Council meeting was so ridiculous you couldn’t follow it because you were cracking up. More craziness is the case of TAT’s Jaguar. For months, this car with a flat tire has been

Good Ole TAT has been appointed to chair the newly created Tribal Landmark Committee. “It is my honor to accept this role,“ he said through his tears of joy.

parked in front of the government Center. He probably

The Child King has never been serious. He doesn’t know how and doesn’t want to learn. He gets that big check, travels a lot, collects titles, does photo OPS, and bullies. Definitely not a service kinda guy.

can’t get the tire changed, and the tags are expired too. But his reputation as Repo Man has us thinking that it’s there because they can’t repossess the car on tribal land. It’s kinda like a landmark now, you know, Straight Outta Smoke Signals. Bobby uses tribal vehicles for personal use getting to and from the Wigwam to get to work. That’s your Treasurer.
We will officially know who has qualified on Sunday. It’s going to be interesting.
Hot and Poppin’ is more like it.

Just thought we would post this to give you a snapshot of what we’re up against after Trump is sworn in. We will not have the protection of the federal government. So remember people, years of CK’s incompetence at the helm, has us on the side of the road with a tin cup.

After Thursday’s federal ruling on land rights, one of the contested Shinnecock billboards displayed a defiant message to travelers along Sunrise Highway. The digital display, which shows temperatures of 43 degrees, remains active despite a state injunction against its operation. (Photo: Courtesy)

By Chez Oxendine, Levi Rickert

January 3, 2025

The U.S. Department of the Interior has confirmed the Shinnecock Indian Nation’s aboriginal rights to a contested property in Hampton Bays, New York, potentially derailing state and local efforts to regulate the tribe’s development projects there.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) designated the 104-acre parcel — referred to as “Westwoods” by the tribe — as restricted fee land, a classification that exempts it from state and local control while preserving tribal sovereignty. The BIA decision, communicated to the tribe in a letter from Assistant Secretary Bryan Newland, follows a three-year investigation into the property’s status.

The federal determination comes at a critical moment for Shinnecock Nation, which is facing legal challenges over two electronic billboards along Sunrise Highway and the construction of a new gas station and travel plaza in Hampton Bays, about 90 miles from Manhattan.

“This land is and has always been restricted fee land held by the Nation and is now recorded as such,” Newland wrote in a Jan. 2 letter to Shinnecock Nation Chairwoman Lisa Goree.

The federal ruling could invalidate recent litigation against the Shinnecock Nation. In December, the New York State Department of Transportation won an injunction against the billboards, though the tribe hasn’t shut them off. Just before Christmas, the village of Southampton filed a lawsuit intended to stop development of the gas station.

“The sad part is New York State has acknowledged it — state maps list our land as an Indian reservation. That land has never been taxed, we’ve never paid tax on it,” Lance Gumbs, Shinnecock vice chairman, said. “This was another frivolous lawsuit to try and bankrupt our tribe and have us acquiesce to things we’ve put up with in the past.”

Both the state and town had argued Westwoods was fee simple land outside the tribe’s reservation, requiring state and municipal permits for development. The BIA’s affirmation that the Nation holds this parcel as restricted fee land, which confirms tribal control over their lands, contradicts the state and town positions, Gumbs said.

The Shinnecock Nation’s control of Westwoods was most recently contested by the state starting in 2019, when the New York State Department of Transportation filed to stop development and use of the electronic billboards. The state asserted that the tribe required permits for the signs, while the Shinnecock insisted the land was sovereign, and not subject to state law on the matter. Ironically, during the Covid-19 pandemic, local officials used the tribe’s billboards to share health updates with New Yorkers who had fled the city for the less-populated Hamptons.

A legal expert familiar with the case, speaking on background, said the designation of Westwoods as restricted fee land undercut the state’s entire argument against the billboards’ construction. Importantly, the BIA confirmed that the restricted fee status was “uninterrupted since time immemorial,” meaning the Shinnecock never ceded control of the lands in question.

“When the federal government recognized the Shinnecock Nation in 2010, they didn’t create the tribe — they recognized that, oh, hey, there’s a tribe there,” the legal expert said. Before colonization, the legal expert explained, the Nation had thousands of acres affected by various transactions — many of them fraudulent. “The lands the Nation retained always belonged to them, and [Newland’s letter] confirms that.”

“This was a Christmas gift and a New Years gift all wrapped in one,” Gumbs said. “This is tremendous for our nation and reinforces that our land is what we’ve always said it is — ours.”

Despite the pending lawsuits, the Shinnecock Nation plans to proceed with both the electronic billboard operation and the travel plaza construction. On Thursday after, the billboards displayed a message to travelers:  Welcome to the Shinnecock Indian Nation Restricted Fee Aboriginal Territory 18 U.S.C. § 1151 Indian Country. 

“We’re not turning the signs off. We’re not going to acknowledge the jurisdiction of New York over our sovereign lands,” Gumbs said. “Our contention is that we don’t need a State permit to put up signs on our land.”

Tribal Business News reached out to both the New York State Department of Transportation and the town of Southampton for comment. Neither had responded as this story went live.

There he is, in all his glory, with the children. Even a Child King has a Bully Pulpit to do good. He used it in all the wrong ways. He made a lot of promises when he took office and well, you know what happened.

The Child King wanted to run the Tribal government operations, illegally, and under Resolution 33. He did it alright.  He ran it right into the ground. Within the last four weeks we’ve had 3 department heads quit.  All of them brand new hires. So new, we only knew the name of one of the women. The Housing Director, the Human Relations Director and today the Tribal Administrator quit.

There’s one common thread….CK.  None of these women would go along with the coverup of financial mismanagement or overlook employee incompetence. Every time the TA tried to find out what was happening in finance, and God forbid present a budget, she was stone walled with lies and excuses from Forked Tongue who pointed to the Frye’s incompetence. Even a Tribal member consultant with major auditing and management skills couldn’t break through.  As for the Housing Director, well she had loads of trouble trying to figure out where the security money went and never got an answer from Kevin Frye about when it’s coming back. Course Joann Peters couldn’t do her job because the culprit in trouble (you can guess which family) would whine to CK who would undermine the managers action or proposed firing and so on.

The abrupt departures all circle back to finance and someone knowing too much choosing to walk away from corruption.  But it’s one hell of a thing to run off three important people in management within a month. Roughly a month before an election. It’s a desperate pattern.

The refusal to produce a budget year after year under CK’s regime is so outrageous we’re exhausted from talking about it. But one thing is certain it must be pretty bad because the cover up involves a dozen bulldozers and as many dump trucks.

CK was no doubt partyin’ down  celebrating his freedom, at our expense.

Everyone was wondering why CK was so happy yesterday. He was running around kissing people. For those who survived that….well he’s off probation today! He was “laying low” he said. But now we can look forward to him really showing his behind (tee he), now that the Plymouth people have let him

Magpie is an expert at doing nothing and getting paid. And guess what? He’s asking Tribal members to let him continue the scam.

continue to lead us down the road to nowhere.

So with little fanfare CK’s crew, the Cliff Walkers gave two top Cliff Walkers,

$600k to be used for salaries. They robbed the Vineyard Wind grant just the way we warned they would when David Weeden became the liaison to the project a while back. And Natana who can’t up her grant just took $430k and Magpie got $170k. This is so outrageous; you just can’t get up the strength to shake your head. CK’s crew is rewarded for doing nothing.  What a world.

The whole story about the other weirdness tomorrow,

Ciara and Ivey didn’t have to put on any airs, just the Mashpee charm. Like the magic of the olden days.

The week before the official Thanksgiving holiday, Governor Maura Healey visited Mashpee on a tour of our historic sites. The popular governor seemed to enjoy the visit where she also awarded state recognition the Herring Pond band of Wampanoags.  These kinds of visits are feel good in nature, and our young people served as ambassadors. Many thanks to Pow Wow Princess Ciara Hendricks and Little Miss Wampanoag Ivey Machado whose charm offensive worked.

So, the Meeting House held the fascination of the governor who also heard from Chief Emeritus Earl Mills.  You know that was a long talk.

When you think about the church, it commands a 340-year-old historic legacy of oppression and redemption reflecting the Tribal experience that is centuries old. On the surface things look good.  Those young women make us look good.

Let’s move on to the next leg of the tour where the governor goes to the tribal museum. The same

Governor Healey visits our museum where documents are glued on to construction paper on cardboard. Imagine what she must have been thinking.

museum the US Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland visited (June 15, 2023) that was cleaned and fumigated just days before her historic tour. Guess what? The Tribal Historic Preservation Officer David Weeden—(AKA Magpie) was in Bermuda partying with Paula and Trish. Fast forward to November 19, 2024, the governor’s visit to that museum photo opts revealed a place that was cleaned up, somewhat.  Weeks before, Reel Wamps pointed out the “disgusting” condition of the closed museum and raggedy weetu on the property. Negligence is a trademark of the so called THIPO apparently, who makes $80K a year and refuses to maintain the museum or keep it open. The man is incapable of being embarrassed.

At the government center the Elders were waiting to see the governor. The chairman tells them she does not have time to stop.  Instead, he took the governor to meet with Natana about the Weetamu  School. Yes, the Weetamu School with an extremely warped student teacher/staff ratio. Natana stands firmly behind the controversial project where students fall behind in basic education unable to compete when they enter the public schools. With no grant, she’s counting on CK to bail her out. Course the governor couldn’t do it alone if she wanted too.  And when the research is done, the $900K will be missing from the three budgets necessary for a greenlight.

Let’s just stop for a minute and understand how these events go. Governors are always late getting

CK is so desperate to get re-elected he will do anything to keep that check coming. Get your flak jackets on people…..serious incoming ahead.

anywhere (accept to meet with the President).  Taking five minutes to greet, chat and take a picture with the Elders would not change a schedule already 30- 45 minutes behind. Healey would have graciously agreed to meet with the Elders. But the Child King purposely snubbed them pivoting to delivering for Natana whose fan base is lower than his. Politically, it makes no sense. But it’s CK after all.

Finally, the governor was presented with a list of asks including housing, Aboriginal Rights, economic development, etc etc.  Well, we’ve been asking for help on these issues for years. CK’s regime has produced nothing. Guess who’s supposed to take the lead on this stuff and do the follow up, draft the bill and walk the halls of the state house working the plan? The Child King who has not initiated one project to benefit the Tribe in four years.

With amateurs like CK at the helm you get what you get. His profile taints all efforts.  Pariahs are poor representatives of our people.