The ancestral territory of the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe encompasses an area that today is a part of both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. We were on this land centuries before state boundaries were ever drawn, and while we have been recognized as a Native tribe in the state of Massachusetts for almost 30 years, we have not yet been recognized by the state of Rhode Island.

This means that the members of our tribe that live in Rhode Island are not recognized by their own state, and as such, are not able to partake of the benefits that state recognition grants. To be clear, we are seeking no money or land from the state of Rhode Island, only the ability to apply for federal funds for healthcare, housing and jobs that being granted state recognition would allow us. In fact, being granted state recognition by Rhode Island would allow us to bring money into the state through federal funding.

Currently the state of Rhode Island recognizes no Native American tribes, so we have introduced House Bill 7477 and Senate Bill 2238 to allow the Seaconke Wampanoag tribe to be recognized as a Native American Indian tribe for the limited purpose of assisting us in establishing eligibility for federal benefits and privileges.

Beyond the practical benefits that state recognition would grant us, we also seek the justice of finally being fully recognized in our native lands. In the aftermath of King Phillip's War over 300 years ago, claiming our heritage became dangerous, and many of our ancestral practices were stripped from us as we were forced to assimilate into a society that violently wanted to eradicate our ways, identity and beinghood. Today we stand before you, proud of our heritage and the ways we've survived, and hoping you'll to join us in asking the state of Rhode Island to do the right thing and recognize us in our native lands.

Time is of the essence because right now the Rhode Island legislature is in the process of voting on our bills (H7477 & S2238). Please help us by signing this petition and sharing it as widely as you can!! We so appreciate your support.

~If you have some extra time and live in the state of Rhode Island, you can also reach out to your representatives at the email addresses below. In the subject line tell them you live in their state and in the body tell them that you support Bills H7477 & S2238~

rep-shekarchi@rilegislature.gov (Representative K. Joseph Shekarchi)

sen-ruggerio@rilegislature.gov (Senator Dominick J. Ruggerio)