- Details
- By Levi Rickert
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe received on Wednesday an early Christmas gift from the U.S. Department of the Interior on Wednesday when it received notification from Assistant Secretary of the Interior – Indian Affairs Bryan Newland that the tribe’s reservation has been confirmed.
Today’s decision reverses the action by the Trump administration’s attempt in March 2020 to strip the tribe of its reservation, which includes 321 acres of land that was put into trust status during the Obama administration. The Obama decision was reversed by the Trump administration three years later in September 2018.
Want more Native News? Get the free daily newsletter today.
On Wednesday, Newland confirmed that the Interior Department has authority under the Indian Reorganization Act to take such action, and further confirmed that the Tribe's Reservation has remained in federally protected trust status since the Reservation land was first placed in trust six years ago on November 10, 2015.
"This is a momentous day for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, for indigenous communities across the country, and for defenders of justice,” said Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Chairman Brian Weeden. "We are grateful that President Biden and his administration, including Secretary Deb Haaland, Assistant Secretary Bryan Newland, and Solicitor Bob Anderson, have faithfully implemented the law and respected the sovereign rights of our tribe to protect our reservation."
Want to support Native News? Make a donation today.
The 55-page decision had the support of the Massachusetts’ two United States senators.
"I congratulate the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe on this major victory, which conclusively reaffirms the trust status of their reservation," said U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). "The Massachusetts congressional delegation and I have proudly stood with the Tribe throughout its fight to protect their ancestral homelands—a fight that should never have been necessary in the first place. I am glad to see the Biden Administration and the Department of the Interior finally issue this confirmation, and to end the attempt begun by the Trump Administration's to unjustly disestablish the Tribe's reservation."
"The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has withstood years of uncertainty after the Trump administration's unlawful, unprecedented and unjust attempt to abrogate their sovereignty and take away their Tribal lands," said U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-MA). "The Department of the Interior's decision today finally lays to rest these wrongful actions and reaffirms the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe's right to this land, which they have stewarded for more than 10,000 years. I join Tribal Leadership and the Wampanoag people in celebrating this decision and look forward to our continued partnership. We must take every opportunity to support and elevate Tribal sovereignty and land rights across the federal government as a cornerstone of our fight for a just, livable future."
Weeden said the decision allows the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe to reclaim and protect their cherished land and better serve its people for generations to come.
CLICK to read the Interior Department’s Decision
More Stories Like This
50 Years of Self-Determination: How a Landmark Act Empowered Tribal Sovereignty and Transformed Federal-Tribal RelationsApache Stronghold Will Petition the U.S. Supreme Court Again on Monday, June 23
California Senate Panel Backs Ramos Bill on Tribal Regalia Rights at Graduation
Janie Simms Hipp Named 2025 Chickasaw Nation Dynamic Woman of the Year
June 21st is World Peace and Prayer Day 2025
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
