Greeting from Vice Chair Baird

Wunee nakushkôât8ôk neetahtyâmôkanak,

Greetings fellow tribal citizens

i am taking this time to write to you all as my term has ended and i leave the office of the Vice Chair.  This has been a very trying time for our People as we have suffered illness from the pandemic and the loss of tribal citizens in the past year due to untimely deaths as well as those who have lived long, full lives. We grieve for those whom we Love and miss.  These are our loved ones that cannot be replaced.  

We have accomplished so much together during my time in office and i have fulfilled my duties with integrity and hard work for my People and Respect in my speech and actions toward my People and those whom i have met. my votes at your council table have been made with intimate knowledge of my People. Representing the Mashpee Wampanoag with honor has been of utmost importance to me and also showing the world the Mashpee traditions that made me the Mashpee Wampanoag person i am today.

Through your placement of me in this position, i was able to accomplish the goals set out at the time i sought office. From my first days in office to today, i have worked to open the Community and Government Center, assist with policies and law creating our Mashpee Wampanoag Police Force. Aboriginal Rights were also my assignment and have been upheld during my time in office. With team work, we established funding and policy for the treatment of the disease of addiction and the crafting of a Tribal Action Plan. Also left in place for your Tribal Council to pass are several benefit programs and revenue producing projects that will be passed on to other council members and hopefully passed, at the appropriate time. One of my first assignments was to repair the defects in our Tribe State Compact. This was nearly 8 months of hard work with the State and Department of Interior, and the legal teams for all three entities, but it was accomplished and is in place for you. 

I am pleased with the work that created invaluable partnerships with our Mass Delegation, local State representatives, and many congressional leaders. These are vital working relationships for the present and future endeavors of the Tribe.

My greatest source of satisfaction in office has derived from my direct research and writing on our Land in Trust application and its subsequent passage. 

And just as satisfying, as i leave office is the battle i waged and won with our legal team in Washington to protect our trust status and the knowledge that while there has been a herculean attempt to remove our Lands from the sovereign rule of the Mashpee Wampanoag, the Land remains in trust and the Department of Interior has dropped its appeal and will follow Judge Friedman’s order and issue a new Record of Decision.

We are the Land. Without it, we have no community and no nationhood. It has been one of my greatest life achievements to work with our partners to protect it; on your behalf and all of the generations we will never see. Kutâpatôtamawunumuw Thank you all.

Ahapây,

jessie little doe

Speaking on behalf of my Tribe at the Legislative Hearing to support our land in trust. My testimony begins at 59 minutes and at 1:43 when i respond to Congressman Gosar’s attack on our Tribe.