Mashpee Elects First Wampanoag Select Board Member In A Decade

Mashpee has elected its first Wampanoag selectboard member in over ten years. David Weeden, who also serves as the Mashpee Wampanoag’s historic preservation officer, was elected in October, and many people hope his election will mark a turning point in what’s been a sometimes difficult relationship between the town and the tribe.

Weeden was elected running on a platform in which he promised to protect waterways like the Mashpee River. As a member of the Wampanoag tribe, he said that rivers have played a large part in shaping the tribe's culture and traditions, and he has fond childhood memories of herring fishing in the area of the Mashpee River, before the town saw large-scale development.

https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2019/11/11/mashpee-elects-first-wampanoag-select-board-member-in-a-decade