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 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.
