Mashpee tribe leader calls on Trump to secure final approval for land rights

Tribe Chairman Cedric Cromwell said Wednesday the administration needs to “do right” by his tribe and grant it the sovereign territory it has long sought. Ancestors of the Mashpee tribe shared a fall harvest meal with the Pilgrims in 1621, helping form the basis for the country’s Thanksgiving tradition.

President Barack Obama’s administration placed 321 acres into trust for the tribe in 2015, but a federal judge sent the decision back to the administration for reconsideration after residents sued. The 2016 ruling forced the tribe to halt construction of its casino in Taunton.

In a video message released in advance of Thanksgiving, Cromwell said the tribe is trying to bring economic development to Southeastern Massachusetts. “Today we’re being tested by the courts and tested by people who say no to the tribe,” he said. “But we believe in yes because the tribe provides for everyone.”

Trump released a proclamation for National Native American Heritage Month that stated his support for tribal sovereignty and self-determination, Cromwell said. “I ask you to join me and my people, the Mashpee Wampanoag tribal nation in holding this White House accountable,” he said.

The Trump administration didn’t immediately comment.