Reel Wamps

The Tribe seemed to be locked in a continuous state of mourning this fall with the deaths of its own Greatest Generation Elders. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has a storied history of leadership championed by  members with unique personalities and strengths that would embolden the tribe during the most difficult times in its history.

Like her brothers, Anne was a frequent visitor to the White House. Reminding many that the Mashpee Wampanoag are alive and well.

Anne Peters Brown ” Talking Star” The youngest of the “Peters Gang” nick-named the ” The Nowheres Crew” (because they lived on the far west end of Route 130), passed away in Mashpee on October 8, at her daughters home. She was 88. Anne was a college educated scholar, prolific writer, and storyteller of the unique lifestyle of the people of the Old Indian Town of Mashpee.  She was a proud Mashpee Wampanoag and told everyone who would listen as she traveled the world. The first Native woman to ascend to the Mashpee postmaster position in New England. Anne, a beloved tribal member, would also establish a successful beauty supply business in Hawaii and the Far East. Guided by their father Steven’s example, she and her siblings would contribute substantially to the tribal framework that would ensure the survival and growth of the Mashpee Wampanoag.

Many were saddened by Christine’s death.

Christine Rezendes passed away on November 24.  She was 79.  She was born in Mashpee to the large family of Delscena Mills, and  Milteer Hendricks where she learned the value of charity to others. Christine was a stylish beauty with a quiet demeanor and a reputation for being an independent woman. She leaves five children, nine great-grandchildren, ten siblings, and many nieces and nephews behind to celebrate her life.

Amelia Peters Bingham “Seaweed” The eldest of the Peters Gang died December 20.  She was 98. Amelia left her brand on the Tribe by establishing the Tribal Council governance structure that we use today. That Council would be chaired by her brother Russell for 25 years. One of her most significant accomplishments was the creation of the Mashpee Wampanoag Museum. It would be her crowning achievement that tribal members pointed to with pride.  She was a member of the advisory board to the Massachusetts Commission on Indians Affairs. That entity would be led by her brother John, the Supreme Medicine Man of the Wampanoag Nation.

Debra and Yvonne represent the Mashpee beautifully on a brochure.

The museum began a renaissance that brought the Tribe the respect it deserved.

She used her creative talents to educate the public by traveling the nation giving lectures, accompanied by Tribal women modeling regalia correctly depicting Wampanoag clothing. Among those models were the late Debra Peters Mills, Councilwoman Yvonne Frye Avant, and Wanda Hendricks Andrews. Her legacy was one that instilled pride in our heritage in a way that peaked the attention of the nation.

Amelia’s elegance and sophistication was an asset she used to leverage support for her people.

Seaman understood the value of our culture and passed it on.

Seaman Piper Turner, II ” Buzzy” passed away on December 26.  He was 79. Seaman was a proud Mashpee man who was talented and popular.  He attended  Samuel G Davis School and Lawrence High School. He served n the US Army, the Mashpee Volunteer Fire Department, and owned his own auto repair shop. One of his beautiful traits was a deep appreciation for Wampanoag culture.  He was at the feet of his Elders listening and learning then passed the culture on to others. A striking figure, the gregarious Seaman, tall and handsome, owned the room when he appeared.

The loss of Everett reminds us that another treasured light is gone in our circle.

Everett Peters  Everett died on December 27. He was 74.  The youngest child of Fredrick and Francis Peters, he served in the Army and worked for the Town of Barnstable for many years. Also a proud Mashpee Wampanoag, ” Uncle Ev” loved to take his children, nieces, and nephews on lake outings.  His funeral service will be held on Saturday, January 8, 2022, at 11:00 am at Mashpee Baptist Church, 27 Great Neck Rd. North, Mashpee. Interment will immediately follow at the Old Indian Cemetery, in Mashpee.

SO MANY DEATHS

As we mourn the loss of our Elders we need to think about preserving their legacies. That goes beyond talking about their accomplishments and their role in our lives. We have to live the truth and understand the sacrifices made for us. We lost five Elders in three months.  Those are five people we can no longer love consult or provide us with answers.We need to involve our Elders in our Elections and enrollment to ground and guide us as they used too.  Cedric pushed them out and minimized their traditional advisory role which proved disasteroous.

Greendeer is TA to a new tribe and that brings new challenges complicated by power politics.

We look to our leaders in Tribal government for just about everything now.  It’s been tough to stabilize the work enviornment. The struggle has gone on for the last six months because of bad hires, botched job offers, and redo’s that never should have happened in the first place. We all know who is responsible for that. Newly hired Tribal Administrator David Greendeer a Ho Chunk, is expected to smooth out the rough edges and bring order to the disorder. Geendeer has an impressive record in the tribal administration of his own tribe known for being one of the more economically advanced in Indian Country.  His corporation specializes in Strategic Planning and Analysis, program development and Indian affairs. Greendeer has been around Mashpee since he was a child.  His father and former Tribal Chairman Russell Peters were close friends.As he must know, all tribes are different and we are no exception. He has been on board for a week and knows this is going to be a tough one. If he succeeds, we suceed. Good luck.

A lot of confirmation of what everyone in the Tribe knew.  Yvonne Frye Avant resigned from the Gaming Commission. She hasn’t been around much. You may recall that Yvonne had trouble finding specific minutes per the FBI request. The Council replaced her with Council Secretary Cassie Jackson.

The episode at the Housing Commission meeting was a part of the discussion in public comment,  but so was Treasurer Marie Stone. ‘Why is Marie the Human Resources Director? She’s gotta lotta work in finance.  Why isn’t she handling finance?’ That was Kimmie Frye’s question. You could feel all 57 Tribal members on the zoom call lean in. Everyone wanted to know what was Tah Tah Deja vu doing?

As the Council meeting started, the Chairman was constantly looking for the ‘Treasurer” who did not respond when votes were called. She was very busy getting ready for her big reveal. So when she got good and damned ready she announced that the  Human Resources Director had been hired along with a Comptroller who would be on the job in two weeks.  Really? There were Tribal members who applied for those jobs that were on the zoom meeting, but never got a letter saying they had not been hired (let alone interviewed) until that evening.

But to show how determined Tah Tah Dejavu is to keep stalling, she’s bringing the very expensive Rewind Audit Team to the Sunday meeting…..to discuss the audit. The same audit as last time…that ate up 2 hours of the General Meeting.  Councilman Aaron Toby wasn’t having any of that.  ” Why the audit at this point? ” he said that it was obviously irrelevant.  So her plan to bore people to tears with the same audit report was cut short. They have 30 minutes.

Here’s the thing. We all know she has NO BUDGET to present. And six months of torture is enough.

Tribal members have a lot on their minds and Sunday is their time to have that dialogue. The Elders for one has serious issues to hash out.The budget allows the government to move forward.  It’s outrageous that one person is holding up progress and $15 million. We have the chance to jump-start and establish our economy. We need a budget to legally move forward.

We talk about a lot on this .com. Stuff that’s uncomfortable.  But if we told you everything we knew….you would lose your mind.

We have updates that are coming your way. Stay Tuned.

“Rolin’ in the doe,” was a phrase carped by Cheryl Frye Cromwell when she talked about her

Cheryl was smart enough to get her kids educated in the deal. But in the end, she’s still with an indicted husband and works at Cumberland Farms.

family, the Fryes benefiting from their control of the Tribal levers of power.  That was back in the day, but still rings true when you look at who brought them to power …GENTING. Genting was struggling.  Profits were under water, until it opened Resorts World in Las Vegas two months ago. You may recall, some of our Council members went out there during the grand opening.

Well according to Casino.org:

Bet you didn’t know we were building a big_ss casino in Las Vegas did ya?

Genting Malaysia is part of the sprawling industrial conglomerate known as Genting Berhad, which is the official owner of the Las Vegas Strip integrated resort. The Malaysian unit owns 100 percent of Resorts World New York City (RWNYC) and nearly half of Resorts World Catskills (RWC) in upstate New York. Resorts World Las Vegas opened two months ago, and while the owner isn’t yet breaking out revenue figures for the new venue, the debut of the latest Strip casino-resort was well-timed, because Sin City is rebounding more rapidly than other major global gaming markets.

Genting is only making money, big money in the US.

When you think about it, the Council members and others Genting treated to the Las Vegas “Grand

We supposedly spent $39 m on architectural designs for First Light. The elaborate Genting Las Vegas casino clearly benefited not us. Not even a steel girder in the ground.

Opening” were enjoying what the Mashpee Wampanoag built.  About 1/5 of the money used to built the joint likely came from us, through the infamous Gaming Authority. All those hundreds of millions of dollars that were unaccounted for went to La Vegas. We got nothing but a _hitload of interest and a lotta humiliation.

The power couple with huge credentials at the height of their careers. Kevin’s psychologist wife of 15 years, SuGinia Sears-Jones  is the mother of 3 beautiful daughters. A psychologist, how cool!

Kevin Jones the Genting pitchman, is back at it again trying to rope the Council back in for the kill. He’s working with one particular officer, part of the old Cromwell regime… It’s his job you see.  But considering his credentials, it’s surprising that a proud HBCU graduate of Clark-Atlanta (and he went to Princeton and Harvard) would be so callous in his methods to lure the tribe into an incredibly bad deal. Course, the Council officer is “intrigued.” Ahem….

But Gentings’ torrid history with eastern tribes is legendary.  The rise and fall of the Pequot is a stunning reminder that the Malaysian moguls take no prisoners. Remember, Genting built Foxwoods, the Pequot got paid huge, (Genting too), but they had no fall back economic development plan to buffer the decline of their casino/hotel.  That’s mandatory because casino experts will tell you that the aura of any casino wears thin in 15 years. The Pequot were kept in the dark completely and had little help with managing tribal or personal assets.  And you know the rest of the story.   MGM Grand right behind Foxwoods is no longer a partner and the Pequot are into outlet malls while eyeing a license in Milford Ma.  The Malaysians are  egregious and predatory.

Actually, the Pequot fared  better than we did.  At least they had a taste of the casino high life.  Now we’re faced with a low grade gaming option, more debt and no answers about what and when tribal members get paid if we do anything. Course with Genting, we get nothing. What about the continuing lawsuits over LIT ? What about the Justice Department? Riding with these guys puts us on the Pequot road.

Kevin is fighting our attempts to be independent and find new interest free recurring revenue and  gaming alternatives that pay members directly.  He thinks he has to approve hires by the new administration to address these and other issues. That’s dumbfounding. It’s tantamount to being SHARECROPPERS!

Pretty shady but transparent. We’re still prisoners of Genting.

The Power Shift

The election of Nelson and Mingo signaled a new direction for the Tribe.

The core of this Tribe made its decision.  The election of Domingo Tiexeira and Nelson Andrews made the Tribal Council complete. A new Council is in place.  It is pretty diverse, which is good. Mingo has life lessons to offer and management skills sorely needed in areas where we need his expertise. He is actually excited about helping.  He’s a good man, looking  to the future for his children and ours.

Nelson Andrews has a long list of accomplishments and knowledge concerning federal grants and program funding that is vital to the Tribe. His relationships with state, federal and tribal entities is is invaluable. Another asset with a lot of knowledge.

WHERE WE STARTED

We started from a bad place the day Cedric Cromwell became chairman.  To review the horrors of his 12 year reign is a lot to do.  But it’s best to understand who delivered the Tribal government back to the people. While the election was a clear sign that the membership wanted change, it was a very small group of council members who remained vigilant and never gave up. These Council members also had strong voter mandates and became a menace to the Cromwell Alliance along the way.  We have to say the Cromwell Alliance was loyal to the end which is really strange when Cedric did so much damage to the Tribal brand and government infrastructure. But that in turn tells you how they felt about the Tribe…their family.

Who fought for the Tribe

Easily the Council diplomat, Rita is also has the administrative skill to manage tribal assets.

Many suffered a lot, just trying to do their jobs.  Rita Gonsalves survived because her administrative skills were exceptional and when she brought plans and projects to Cedric he either killed or co-opted them as his own. He was atrocious in his theft of intellectual property. When she became a Tribal Council member, she was a triple threat  because she had a vote.

Aaron Tobey fought a years long legal battle that was instrumental

A stickler for Tribal law, Aaron kept challenging the corruption.

in ending the Cromwell regime’s grip on the Tribe. From the recall petition to the Constitutional challenge of the new election ordinance, Tobey’s efforts  restored local control to the core of the Tribe. The phrase “elections have consequences,” resonates for the Mashpee and it’s a good thing.

Carlton Hendricks, Jr. made good on his promises of transparency, government integrity and  building a tribal economy run by tribal members. He immediately began repairing damage done to tribal

In a matter of months Hendricks has made real progress on restoring essential fishing resources and programs that the Cromwell administration allowed to meltdown.

infrastructure by the Cromwell regime.  The oyster farm was on the verge of collapse and the state was  threatening to take over the critical project. Joined by tribal fisherman, Hendricks made the course correction to keep the state at bay.  Also a victim of neglect was the HASSP program that sets the stage for the Tribe to meet guidelines that allow it to produce fish product to sell retail and wholesale while improving the bay water quality. Also back on track, this project alone would provide a huge boost for fisherman struggling to to remain in business.  It also provides long term stability for the tribal economy. Inside the Council, Hendricks has worked to restore confidence in the government  and service to Tribal members. As the head of operations, he meets with Department heads frequently to get a grip on their progress, budgets and goals. The tribe is focused on competent experienced employees no matter their family ties.

Hendricks is laser focused on the Tribe’s financial well being. He continues to challenge the idea of taking high interest loans from Genting. Who does that when the Tribe can receive interest free appropriations? The loyalists don’t know what to do, how to get it done, or get the professionals to help us move past this disastrous situation. Cromwell’s people are eerily silent when they learn of more tens  of millions of dollars worth of expenditures on projects never started or completed. They never questioned it or asked why.  They just let it all happen…..to us.

Regardless of the Justice Department’s continued scrutiny, and interviews, Genting is bent on holding us hostage. They are desperate to ensnare us in what will be the biggest scandal in Indian gaming. Just remember that whatever Genting builds on the Taunton land and whatever money generated will go to Genting.  We get nothing. That money repays over $700m in debt that Cedric and crew acquired.

We do have options for self sufficiency and a vibrant economy. We have to let leaders lead.

Just understand what we’re up against. Cedric and his loyalists did an excellent job of destroying us.  It’s time to get off that struggle bus.