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I'm a Proud Member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe

Article by Keith Foxx, Principal of FOXXSTEM Engineering Services

10/25/2023 ACEC Matters

I'm a Proud Member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe

By Keith Foxx, PE, PMP, CCM, Principal at FOXXSTEM Engineering Services

ACEC/MA is grateful to Keith Foxx., PE, PMP, CCM for sharing this information on the Mashpee Wampanoag.  Keith is Principal at FOXXSTEM Engineering Services, and the National Director representing ACEC/Metro Washington on the Board of the American Council of Engineering Companies based in Washington DC.  He is the Immediate Past Chair of the ACEC/Metro Washington Board of Directors. 

Originally from Massachusetts, Keith wrote this in recognition of Indigenous People's Day on October 9, 2023.

ACEC/MA is grateful to Keith for his leadership in ACEC, his engineering leadership, and for sharing the information below.

From Keith Foxx:

I'm a proud member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. Happy to acknowledge Indigenous People's Day. Here are 8 facts to (re)introduce you to our tribe.

1.     Wampanoag: The name Wampanoag translates to "People of the First Light" or "People of the Dawn," a reference to their eastern location.

2.     Original Inhabitants: The Mashpee Wampanoag have lived in what is now Massachusetts and eastern Rhode Island for over 12,000 years. They are part of the larger Wampanoag Nation.

3.     Survival: The Mashpee Wampanoag are one of three surviving tribes of the original sixty-nine in the Wampanoag Nation.

4.     First Contact with Pilgrims: The Mashpee Wampanoag are perhaps best known for their early interactions with English Pilgrims, particularly those who arrived on the Mayflower in 1620. They helped the settlers survive through the first harsh winters.

5.     Role in Thanksgiving: The Wampanoag people, including the Mashpee, are commonly associated with the First Thanksgiving in 1621, although the event is viewed differently by Native Americans and non-Native Americans.

6.     Loss of Land: Over the centuries, the Mashpee Wampanoag lost large portions of their ancestral lands through treaties, forced removals, and land sales.

7.     Wôpanâak Language Revival: The tribe has initiated a language revival program, aiming to teach the younger generation the Wôpanâak language, which had nearly become extinct.

8.     Traditional Names: My native name is "Strong Horse" named by the Medicine Man.

Learn more about the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe here: https://mashpeewampanoagtribe-nsn.gov/timeline

Below: Me with my cousin Lynn at the 2023 Pow Wow in Cape Cod, MA.
 
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