Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe pulls out of land use agreement

Friday, February 22, 2013  

The Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe has withdrawn from a local land use agreement.

The tribe entered into the agreement with the town of Aquinnah are losing a court case. The Massachusetts Supreme Court in 2004 ruled that the tribe must comply with state and local laws after waiving its sovereign immunity in a land claim settlement.

The agreement was never used but Chairwoman Cheryl Andrews-Maltais said it compromised the tribe's sovereignty. Town leaders, two of whom are tribal members, expressed surprise at the development.

Get the Story:
Wampanoags Sever Land Pact, Deepening Tensions with Town (The Martha's Vineyard Gazette 2/22)