Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag
Massachuset-Ponkapoag Tribal Council, Inc.
Ponkapoag Land Corporation
Named afterMassachusett people, Ponkapoag praying town
Formation2002
FounderGilbert Solomon
Founded atHolliston, Massachusetts
TypeNonprofit
Registration no.Massachuset-Ponkapoag Tribal Council, Inc.:
EIN 32-0020700,
Ponkapoag Land Corporation:
EIN 32-0020702
Legal statusnonprofit
PurposeCultural, Ethnic Awareness
Location
President
Gilbert Solomon
Websitemassachusetttribe.org

The Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag is a cultural heritage group that claims descendancy from the Massachusett people, an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands.[1]

While they identify as a Native American tribe, they are unrecognized, meaning they are neither a federally recognized tribe[2] nor a state-recognized tribe.[3]

Nonprofit organizations

The Massachuset-Ponkapoag Tribal Council, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2002;[4] however, GuideStar reports that their nonprofit status was revoked for failing to file 990 tax forms with the IRS for three consecutive years.[5] As a cultural awareness organization, their stated mission is "The Education of the Massachuset people in our history, customs and culture."[5] Gilbert Solomon is the principal officer, based in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.[5] Their agent is Massachusetts Registered Agent, LLC.[4]

The Ponkapoag Land Corporation is an active nonprofit organization, also founded in 2002 with Gilbert Solomon serving as agent. Its registered address is in Holliston, Massachusetts.[6]

Officers

The officers of the Massachuset-Ponkapoag Tribal Council, Inc., and Ponkapoag Land Corporation are as follows:

  • Gilbert Solomon, president
  • Thomas Green, vice president
  • Elizabeth Solomon, treasurer
  • Alysha Gray, clerk.[6]

Robin Harris became the director of the Massachusetts-Ponkapoag Tribal Council, Inc. in 2021.[4] Jean Oliver Foster became director of the Ponkapoag Land Corporation in 2021.[6]

Elizabeth Solomon, a member and officer of the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag and a Harvard University alumna and director of administration at the Harvard School of Public Health, has delivered land acknowledgments for the university[7] and other area institutions.[8]

Activities

As the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag, the organization released an open letter in 2020 opposing the use of Native American sports mascots.[9] Members participated in the Wessagussett Wetlands and Woodlands site's unveiling of public signage of local history in Weymouth, Massachusetts.[10] The Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag has publicly called on Boston University to rename its Myles Standish Hall to Wituwamat Memorial Hall after a Neponset tribal member killed by colonists in 1623.[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "We are the Descendents [sic]". The Masschusett Tribe at Ponkapoag. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Indian Entities Recognized by and Eligible To Receive Services From the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs". Indian Affairs Bureau. Federal Register. January 29, 2021. pp. 7554–58. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  3. ↑ "State Recognized Tribes". National Conference of State Legislatures. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 "Massachuset-Ponkapoag Tribal Council, Inc. The". OpenCorporates. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 "Massachusetts-Ponkapoag Tribal Council Inc". Guidestar.
  6. 1 2 3 "Ponkapoag Land Corporation". OpenCorporates. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  7. ↑ Herszenhorn, Miles J.; Yuan, Claire (September 29, 2023). "As it Happened: Harvard President Claudine Gay's Inauguration". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  8. ↑ Carmosino, Elyse (October 9, 2020). "Salem to celebrate inaugural Indigenous Peoples' Day". The Daily Item. Essex Media Group. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  9. ↑ Solomon, Elizabeth (June 28, 2020). "Massachusett-Mascot-letter.pdf". MA Indigenous Legislative Agenda. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  10. ↑ Trufant, Jessica (October 9, 2021). "New panels shed light on Weymouth's 'sordid past,' history of Massachusett Tribe". The Patriot Ledger. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  11. ↑ "Native American Tribe Wants BU To Change Name Of Myles Standish Dorm". WBUR. September 21, 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
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