In a ceremony marked by the exchange of symbolic gifts and the scent of sweetgrass, the Plymouth Select Board gathered at Memorial Hall to formally recognize the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe following their official state recognition. The event, held during the significance of the spring herring run, signaled a new era of diplomatic relations between the town and the indigenous community that has inhabited the region for thousands of years. The gathering follows the Commonwealth’s issuance of Executive Order 637, which officially recognized the Herring Pond Wampanoag as a sovereign tribal community.

The proceedings opened with words from Tribal Medicine Man Troy Kins, who emphasized the deep, unbroken connection between his people and the local landscape. Kins noted that while the town prepares to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, the tribe’s history spans millennia. There is no separation between us and the land. We are the land, Kins said. That’s why it’s so important for us to protect those stewards. You hear that term 'generational wealth.' Well, as native people, we have generational knowledge. Sarah Angel of the Plymouth For All Committee followed with a formal land acknowledgement, paying respects to the ancestral bloodlines of the Wampanoag nation.

Select Board Chair Dave Golden described the choice of Memorial Hall for the event as a deliberate act of unity, intended to show that the town’s history and the tribe’s history are inseparable. Tribal Chairwoman Melissa Ferretti spoke to the endurance of her people, noting that they are the town’s neighbors working as doctors, lawyers, and artisans. Our presence here is not a return. Time has watched us remain, endure, and rise again on the land that has shaped us, Ferretti said. Our shared history has not always been easy, but time gives us the chance to choose something positive. We don't just survive; we adapt and we thrive.

Individual tribal members shared the personal impact of the recognition process. Tribal Secretary Jamie described the emotional experience of reviewing thousands of historic deeds and records. Every document I reviewed spoke to the life of someone who lived before me, someone I was related to. It brought our history to life, she said. Tribal Citizen Jamie added that the moment represented the restoration of visibility, dignity, and a voice.

The Select Board presented several gifts to the tribe to mark the occasion. Selectman Quintel, who noted this is probably one of my proudest moments in 21 years of service, presented a copy of the 1621 Wampanoag Alliance. Selectwoman Deb Quinto presented a photograph of river herring in the Town Brook, stating this photograph captures the resilience and endurance that both the herring and your people share. Selectman Bill Cohan presented a Town of Plymouth flag that had been flown over Town Hall specifically for the tribe, remarking that we thought a gesture symbolizing this renewed effort was appropriate. Chairman Golden also presented the Key to the Town of Plymouth as a testament to a shared future.

State leaders joined the commemoration via video, with Representative Matt Muratore highlighting recent financial support for the tribe's cultural preservation. Muratore noted that the legislative delegation had secured over $10,000 last year to help create a dedicated space for the tribe to preserve its traditions. Senator Dylan Fernandez and Representative Kathy LaNatra also offered congratulations, with LaNatra calling the state recognition a critical step in acknowledging the history, place, and people who were here long before the pilgrims.

The event also drew leaders from other tribal nations, including Brian Weeden, Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, and Kevin Divine, Chairman of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah). Weeden presented the board with sweetgrass and tobacco prayer bundles. This is medicine we burn to keep away negative energy, Weeden explained. Hiawatha Brown of the Narragansett Tribe presented a pipe and a feather, while Assonet Band Chief Ken Alves reflected on his work as a repatriation officer. I have personally touched ancestral remains in Herring Pond homelands that were there before Europeans set foot on this land, Alves noted.

The ceremony concluded with the Select Board reading a formal proclamation and Chairwoman Ferretti presenting a tribal flag to be flown in Plymouth. Chairman Golden closed the session by emphasizing that the evening was not a conclusion, but rather the start of a beautiful relationship and a precursor to future joint initiatives.