The Bureau of Indian Affairs this afternoon announced a final determination in favor of recognition for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts.
Jim Cason, the associate deputy secretary at the Interior Department, called the tribe at around 5pm. Tribal leaders and members erupted into shouts of joy and tears, The Cape Cod Times reported.
The decision was not unexpected. In March 2006, the BIA issued a proposed finding in favor of recognition for the tribe whose ancestors met the Mayflower. With no opposition from the state or local governments, today's ruling was seen as inevitable [DOI Documents].
The tribe is now the second federally recognized tribe in Massachusetts. The Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe completed the BIA process in 1987.
Get the Story:Mashpee Wampanoag win tribal status (The Cape Cod Times 2/15)
Members see better lives ahead (The Cape Cod Times 2/15)
Mashpee Wampanoag Indians receive federal recognition (AP 2/15) Relevant Documents:
Summary of Acknowledgment Cases | R. Lee Fleming Declaration Only on Indianz.Com:
Federal Recognition Database V2.0 (May 2005) Relevant Links:
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe - http://mashpeewampanoagtribe.com Related Stories:
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