Massachusett Tribe At Ponkapoag
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The Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag is a cultural heritage group that claims descendancy from the
Massachusett people The Massachusett were a Native American tribe from the region in and around present-day Greater Boston in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name comes from the Massachusett language term for "At the Great Hill," referring to the Blue Hills ...
, an
Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands include Native American tribes and First Nation bands residing in or originating from a cultural area encompassing the northeastern and Midwest United States and southeastern Canada. It is part ...
. While they identify as a
Native American tribe In the United States, an American Indian tribe, Native American tribe, Alaska Native village, tribal nation, or similar concept is any extant or historical clan, tribe, band, nation, or other group or community of Native Americans in the Unit ...
, they are unrecognized, meaning they are neither a federally recognized tribe nor a
state-recognized tribe State-recognized tribes in the United States are organizations that identify as Native American tribes or heritage groups that do not meet the criteria for federally recognized Indian tribes but have been recognized by a process established unde ...
.


Nonprofit organizations

The Massachuset-Ponkapoag Tribal Council, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2002; however,
GuideStar Candid is an information service specializing in reporting on U.S. nonprofit companies. In 2016, its database provided information on 2.5 million organizations.Wyland, Michael. "GuideStar Introduces Program Metrics Section for Nonprofit Profile ...
reports that their nonprofit status was revoked for failing to file 990 tax forms with the
IRS The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory tax ...
for three consecutive years. As a cultural awareness organization, their stated mission is "The Education of the Massachuset people in our history, customs and culture." Gilbert Solomon is the principal officer, based in
Bridgewater, Massachusetts Bridgewater is a town located in Plymouth County, in the state of Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the town's population was 28,633. Bridgewater is located approximately south of Boston and approximately 35 miles east ...
. Their agent is Masschusetts Registered Agent, LLC. The Ponkapoag Land Corporation is an active nonprofit organization, also founded in 2002 with Gilbert Solomon serving as agent. Its registered address is in
Holliston, Massachusetts Holliston is a New England town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States in the Greater Boston area. The population was 14,996 at the 2020 census. It is located in MetroWest, a Massachusetts region that is west of Boston. Holliston is t ...
.


Officers

The officers of the Massachuset-Ponkapoag Tribal Council, Inc., and Ponkapoag Land Corporation are as follows: * Gilbert Solomon, president * Thomas Green, vice president * Elizabeth Solomon, treasurer * Alysha Gray, clerk. Robin Harris became the director of the Massachusetts-Ponkapoag Tribal Council, Inc. in 2021. Jean Oliver Foster became director of the Ponkapoag Land Corporation in 2021.


Activities

As the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag, the organization released an open letter in 2020 opposing the use of Native American sports mascots. Members participated in the Wessagussett Wetlands and Woodlands site's unveiling of public signage of local history in
Weymouth, Massachusetts ("To Work Is to Conquer") , image_map = Norfolk County Massachusetts incorporated and unincorporated areas Weymouth highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250px , map_caption = Location in Norfolk County in Massa ...
. The Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag has publicly called on
Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with ...
to rename its Myles Standish Hall to Wituwamat Memorial Hall after a Neponset tribal member killed by colonists in 1623.


See also

* Praying Indians of Natick and Ponkapoag *
List of unrecognized tribes in the United States Unrecognized tribes in the United States are organizations of people who claim to be historically, culturally, and/or genetically related to historic Native American Indian tribes but who are not officially recognized as Indigenous nations by the ...


References


External links


The Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag
{{DEFAULTSORT:Massachusett Tribe At Ponkapoag Native American rights organizations Non-profit organizations based in Massachusetts Organizations established in 2002 Organizations based in Massachusetts Unrecognized tribes in the United States