Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe vice chair a 'hero' for language work

Tuesday, April 7, 2015  

The Boston Celtics recognized Vice Chairwoman Jessie "Little Doe" Baird of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe for her efforts to preserve the Wampanoag language.

Through her Wopanaak Language Reclamation Project, Baird single-handedly revived a language that hadn't been spoken on a regular basis in hundreds of years. She received a "genius grant" from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in 2010 and has been leading efforts to start a Wampanoag charter school.

Baird was honored by the Heroes Among Us program at a Celtics game on April 3.

Get the Story:
Mashpee Tribe's Baird honored at Celtics game (Cape Cod Today 4/7)
Member of Mashpee Wampanoag honored by Celtics for tribal language work (The Cape Cod Times 4/7)

Proposal filed for Wampanoag language public charter school (08/26)
Colorlines: Documentary follows Wampanoag language effort (11/28)
PBS: Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe works to preserve language (11/11)
Editorial: 'Genius' recipient returns Wampanoag language to life (9/30)
Mashpee Wampanoag linguist receives MacArthur 'genius grant' (9/28)