<p>Members of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) headed down to the bogs to celebrate Cranberry Day, a longstanding harvest tradition for the Vineyard’s Native American tribe. The day ended with a potluck dinner.</p>
A rain-streaked morning gave way to perfect fall weather Tuesday as members of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) headed down to the bogs to celebrate Cranberry Day, a longstanding harvest tradition for the Vineyard’s Native American tribe.
Day ended with a community potluck at tribal headquarters.
Day ended with a community potluck at tribal headquarters.
About 60 people gathered later in the tribal headquarters building off Blackbrook Road for a potluck dinner. It was the final tribal gathering of the year. Chief Ryan Malonson offered a short blessing before covers came off the dishes and the room filled with laughter and conversation.
Children nearly outnumbered the adults, making for a loud and joyous occasion.
Beverly Wright recalled celebrating Cranberry Day as a young girl and riding in the back of an oxcart down to the bogs with her friends before dawn. On Tuesday, she brought her grandmother’s wooden cranberry scoop to help with the harvest.
Cranberry Day was once a three-day event, but now falls on the second Tuesday of October. This year it comes one day after Columbus Day, which nine U.S. cities, along with the state of Alaska, abolished this year in favor of Indigenous Peoples Day.
Children outnumbered adults, making for a noisy, joyous occasion.
Children outnumbered adults, making for a noisy, joyous occasion.
“What’s taken so long?” said Leigh Vanderhoop, one of several tribal members on Tuesday who said they would support such a change in Massachusetts. The tribe also joins others in the state in observing Indian Day on August 12, to commemorate the Wampanoag chief Metacomet, also known as King Philip, who led efforts to push European colonists out of the region in the 1600s.
Tribal historian Bettina Washington, who helped organize the potluck, said she looked forward to an upcoming meeting of the United South and Eastern Tribes, which she hoped would address the Columbus Day controversy.
“It will be interesting to see what comes up,” she said.
Conversation continued into the evening, as kids played outside under the trees, enjoying another harvest season.
Comments
As much as I was aware that
Mike AquinnahAs much as I was aware that the question was going to be asked, I can only say I am disappointed that this article doesn't offer more information about our traditional harvest... I can understand that perhaps not many offered words to the writer, I certainly didn't, but perhaps some research and some more questions regarding what that harvest is about rather than asking how we feel about Columbus Day would have been more appropriate...
Just my thought.
My daughter and I picked
Jeremy Oak BluffsMy daughter and I picked cranberries with some of the other tribal members yesterday morning. It was so great to be a part of the tradition. And also to have my daughter carry it on. Thank you to the rangers for their time and dedication to keeping this tradition alive.
Jeremy, I will speak for both
Mike AquinnahJeremy, I will speak for both Tyler and Myself and say that we were glad to play an integral role in the harvest tradition. We certainly hadn't planned to do all the grilling that afternoon, but in the end we were happy to see smiling faces and people enjoying themselves. It was certainly a wonderful day and I was glad that you and your daughter made your way up-island to be a part of it. Thank you.
No disrespect to the Aquinnah
JJ OBNo disrespect to the Aquinnah tribe or any others, but why are we asking how they feel about Columbus Day? None of them are over 500 years old to have experienced it. They only speak of history and what they were told. Just because our schools only teach of Columbus history did not begin in 1492. So who really knows who first settled this land. And why are we abolishing Columbus day but still celebrating Indian day? Makes no sense to me, sounds like discrimination.
JJ, the reason that people
Mike AquinnahJJ, the reason that people are starting to take issue against celebrating Columbus Day is because it is in essence celebrating genocide. Columbus and his men murdered and pillaged when they arrived on these lands. However, back when the holiday was first being celebrated those parts of history were disregarded or ignored. Indian Day is celebrated by many folks because it honors the ancestry that took care of and assisted initial settlers and many other eras of settlement after that. When Native people talk about the wrongs of Columbus they speak of family and village history, about loss and about devastation; to speak condemningly of that fact would be the same as telling families not to celebrate the liberation of the Concentration Camps and the freedom that was granted to their Jewish parents/grandparents. In simple terms: Columbus was no saint, he was absolutely a conquering man; Indian Day is meant to honor Native people who helped make this Country possible through their contributions to early settlement.
History buff you aren't JJ?
P. Souza MVHistory buff you aren't JJ?
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