Cedric Cromwell, also known as ''Qaqeemasq'' (or Running Bear) in ''Wôpanâak'', is the Former Tribal Council Chairman of the
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts. Elected in 2009 as chairman, Cedric Cromwell was the head of the official elected government for the 2,600-member federally recognized tribe.
Cromwell was removed from office in 2020 after being Federally Indicted
Biography
Cromwell is the son of James Oliver Cromwell of
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Yarmouth is a town in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. A port town, industries include fishing, and tourism. It is the terminus of a ferry service to Bar Harbor, Maine, run by Bay Ferries.
History
Originally inhabited by the Mi'kmaq, the regi ...
and Constance "Lone Eagless" Tobey-Cromwell of
Dorchester, Massachusetts. She served as the Wampanoag Tribal Secretary.
Tribal activities
Cromwell was elected to the Tribal Council and served for eight years before being elected Chairman in 2009. He was elected as part of a reform movement following the resignation of the former chairman,
Glenn Marshall, who pleaded guilty on "federal embezzling, mail fraud and election finance charges".
Cromwell has gained financial backing for the tribe's casino development effort from the Malaysian billionaire
Lim Goh Tong
Lim Goh Tong (; 28 February 1918 – 23 October 2007) was a prominent wealthy Malaysian Chinese businessman & entrepreneur. He was renowned for his transforming Genting Highlands from an unexplored hilltop into one of the world's most successf ...
and his Kien Huat Realty arm of the
Genting Group
The Genting Group is a company headquartered in the Wisma Genting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It comprises the holding company Genting Berhad (), its listed subsidiaries Genting Malaysia Berhad (), Genting Plantations Berhad (), Genting Singapore ...
. The chairman hired the former U.S. representative
Bill Delahunt
William David Delahunt (born July 18, 1941) is an American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts. He is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1997 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Delahunt did not seek re-election ...
to lobby on behalf of the tribe.
Because the Wampanoag have long been without a reservation, Cromwell is committed to securing federal lands in trust for the tribe. Under state and federal gaming laws, such land is necessary as a sovereign base for the tribal plan to establish a gaming casino resort, with plans to include hotels, restaurants, slot parlors and retail shopping. The previous council chair Glenn Marshall had similar proposals for a Mashpee Wampanoag land-in-trust reservation, including the establishment of an international free-trade zone and Indian wholesale banking operations independent from state and federal regulators.
Cromwell has traveled to Washington, DC, to lobby on Native American issues. He supports the Native CLASS Act to improve education of Native children, and the equal treatment of all Indian tribes by the federal government. He testified before the
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is a committee of the United States Senate charged with oversight in matters related to the American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native peoples. A Committee on Indian Affairs existed from 1820 to 19 ...
. He is working to gain Congressional approval for legislation to enable the Wampanoag to acquire land for the government to hold in trust. But the
US Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point of ...
decision in ''
Carcieri v. Salazar'' (2012) ruled that tribes not under federal jurisdiction in 1934 could not acquire land that could be classified as trust land by the Department of Interior. Any land they acquired would be treated in common with other privately held land.
Personal
Cromwell is married to Cheryl Frye-Cromwell.
See also
*
Deval Patrick#Casino gaming
*
Genting Group#Resort and casino properties
*
Bill Delahunt#Lobbying
External links
Official Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe website
Reel Wamps anonymous blog critical of tribal affairs.
"More Wampanoag debt, more secrets" WampaLeaks, 4 November 2012, anonymous blog
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cromwell, Cedric D.
Native American leaders
Living people
1965 births
Roxbury Community College
Mashpee Wampanoag people
Native American people from Massachusetts
20th-century Native Americans
21st-century Native Americans