Learn More About Native Americans in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs

100 Cambridge St, Suite 300, Boston, MA 02114

This commission assists Native American individuals, tribes, and organizations in their relationships with state and local government agencies and advises the Commonwealth in matters pertaining to Native Americans. The commission was created by the state legislature in 1974 and its members represent different tribes throughout the state.

Learn more by calling (617) 573-1292 or visiting www.mass.gov/service-details/indian-affairs.

Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe

483 Great Neck Road South, Mashpee, MA 02649

This tribe, also known as the People of the First Light, has inhabited present-day Massachusetts and eastern Rhode Island for more than 12,000 years. It was re-acknowledged as a federally recognized tribe in 2007. In 2015, the federal government declared 150 acres in Mashpee and 170 acres in Taunton as the Tribe's initial reservation, on which it can exercise its full tribal sovereignty rights.

Learn more by calling (508) 477-0208 or visiting www.mashpeewampanoagtribe-nsn.gov.

Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head/Aquinnah

20 Black Brook Rd, Aquinnah, MA 02535

This Tribe's ancestral lands have always been on the southwestern end of Noepe (Martha's Vineyard), even after the Town of Gay Head was incorporated in 1870 under Commonwealth law. In 1972, the Wampanoag Tribal Council of Gay Head, Inc. was formed to promote self-determination among Wampanoag people, to ensure preservation and continuation of Wampanoag history and culture, and to seek the return of Tribal lands to the Wampanoag people. In 1987, the Tribe obtained federal recognition by an act of Congress, and approximately 485 acres were purchased as Tribal Lands.

Learn more by calling (508) 645-3790 or visiting www.wampanoagtribe-nsn.gov.

Tribal Government of the Nipmuc Nation: Hassanamisco Band of Nipmucs

25 Main Street, South Grafton, MA 01560

On behalf of their ancestors, their descendants and all the members of their community, the Tribal Government and Citizens of the Nipmuc Nation seeks to preserve and promote the culture, language, and values of the Nipmuc People and to improve their quality of life, including that of future generations.

Learn more by calling (774) 317-9138 or calling www.nipmucnation.org.

Narragansett Indian Tribe

4533 South County Trail, Charlestown, RI 02813

This Tribe includes descendants of the aboriginal people living in present-day Rhode Island and claims territorial interests throughout Massachusetts. In 1983, the Tribe obtained federal recognition by an act of Congress. The Narragansett Indian Tribal Historic Preservation Office is authorized to determine all matters on behalf of the Tribe with respect to historic preservation, Indian graves' protection, religious freedom, and other relevant cultural matters.

Learn more by calling (401) 364-1100 or visiting www.narragansettindiannation.org.

Greater Lowell Indian Cultural Association (GLICA)

P.O. Box 1181, Lowell, MA 01853

This association is a family-oriented group of Native Americans who come together through member events such as spring planting, harvest ceremony, and family day to acknowledge and share their religion, culture, spirituality, and traditions in accordance with the ways of their ancestors.

Learn more by following GLICA on Facebook or visiting www.greaterlowellnatives.com.

United Native American Cultural Center, Inc. (UNACC)

29 Antietam Street, Devens, MA 01434

This center's mission is to be a positive place for peoples of all cultures to gather, share, and learn. Essential to this endeavor is a program of cultural enrichment, education, and whole life strategies for Native American people and a place to learn and teach their crafts, artwork, voices, and traditional ways. Membership is open to all who have an interest in Native American culture.

Learn more by calling (978) 772-1306 or visiting www.unacc.org.

Massachusetts Historical Commission

Massachusetts Archives Building, 220 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125

The Massachusetts Historical Commission, office of the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) and State Archaeologist, administers various federal and state programs created by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and state laws. These programs identify and seek to protect the buildings, sites, structures, districts, and objects important in Massachusetts' cultural heritage.

Learn more by calling (617) 727-8470 or visiting www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc.

Suggested readings

Brooks, Lisa; 2018; Our Beloved Kin: A New History of King Philip's War. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. Interactive maps at https://ourbelovedkin.com/awikhigan

Bragdon, Kathleen J.; 1996; Native People of Southern New England, 1500-1650. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. 2009; Native People of Southern New England, 1650-1775. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman.

Braun, Esther K., and David P. Braun; 1994; The First Peoples of the Northeast. Moccasin Hill Press, Lincoln, MA.

Calloway, Colin G., editor; 1997; After King Philip's War: Presence and Persistence in Indian New England. University Press of New England, Hanover, NH.

Calloway Colin G., and Neal Salisbury, editors; 2003; Reinterpreting New England Indians and the Colonial Experience. Colonial Society of Massachusetts, Boston.