We are the
Chappaquiddick Tribe of the Wampanoag Indian Nation,
a historical Massachusetts tribe.
Our ancestral homeland is Chappaquiddick Island,
including Cape Poge, and Muskeget.
We Welcome you to learn about our people, history, and aspirations for cultural preservation.
Our History
The Chappaquiddick Wampanoag Tribe is a historical Massachusetts tribe. Its ancestral homelands are Chappaquiddick Island, Cape Poge, and Muskeget. The Chappaquiddick Wampanoag were a tribe at the time of first contact, when the United States became a country in 1776, and when Massachusetts became part of the Federal Union in 1789. The tribe had two reservation areas on Chappaquiddick until the late 1800s.
Today, Chappaquiddicks live in Martha’s Vineyard, the larger island next to Chappaquiddick, on the mainland in Massachusetts and Rhode Island (ancestral homelands of the Wampanoag Nation), and throughout the United States.
Our Tribe
Our core families are:
Brown, Curtis, Epps, Freeman, Handy, Healis and Rocker.
All other family names are branches from these seven. We have over 325 enrolled members, but estimate over 500 Chappaquiddick are within these families.
Every core tribal family has had representation on our tribal council and/or has participated in projects or land claim cases.
Today, Chappaquiddick people live on Martha’s Vineyard, the larger island adjacent to Chappaquiddick Island, the mainland in Massachusetts and Rhode Island (both are ancestral homelands of the Wampanoag Nation), Connecticut, New York, and throughout the United States. The Chappaquiddick Wampanoag believe in the cycle of life. That coming together is the beginning, keeping together is progress, and working together is success. It is our duty to act upon these beliefs.
