Aquinnah (formerly known as Gay Head): The shore lands under the hill at the end of the island (general translation).
Wampanoag: People of the First Light
In early 2020, when COVID-19 shook the world and became part of the collective vocabulary, the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah knew what they had to do. With their inherent resilience, ingenuity and compassion, they moved quickly to keep members of the tribe safe, healthy and protected.
This was not the first pandemic the Tribe has weathered.
In 1616, before the Pilgrims’ arrival, a still-mysterious disease caused an epidemic which decimated an estimated 75% of the population of the 69 villages that made up the Wampanoag Nation. With that history in mind, Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryl Andrews-Maltais immediately called for a shut down in their community.
The Tribal Council approved a resolution declaring an immediate “State of Emergency and Major Disaster.” The Tribal Council also determined that as a long-standing Self-Governance Tribe, the Tribe was capable of managing themselves and should be a direct recipient of federal assistance through FEMA’s Public Assistance program.
That was just the beginning. The unknowns seemed overwhelming. How to notify all tribal members? How to determine the COVID-19 needs of the tribal members? How to provide PPE to all as well as durable medical goods to tribal members due to early releases from hospitals?
“Beyond our small size in Aquinnah, we are an isolated community with limited resources,” said Andrews-Maltais of the 300-member island population on the southwest tip of Martha’s Vineyard.
Due to the need for an ongoing source of PPE as well as cleaning and sanitizing supplies, the financial need and logistical challenges that they face as an island Tribal Nation became more difficult.
Federal Coordinating Officer and Tribal Liaison Adam Burpee from FEMA was assigned to the task once the Tribe determined they wanted to be a direct recipient for FEMA support. The support provided by Liaison Burpee was sometimes in-person, and other times — such as PPE delivery — on-site.
To assist them through the required activities and documentation needed to become a recipient, a first for the Tribe, Burpee provided some necessary and welcomed support. Burpee also assisted with resource requests for PPE, emergency food needs and guidance regarding non-congregate sheltering needs.
“The biggest immediate challenge for this Tribe was their staffing shortfall,” said Burpee. “Without a dedicated emergency management department, they had their Tribal Chairwoman juggling executive leadership of the Tribe, mundane administrative actions for the Tribal Nation, press and in-depth tactical activities associated with response to an unprecedented disaster. This event stretched the Tribe to the absolute limit.”
Burpee said that building capacity was at the heart of the challenge for the Tribe. “Building capacity is a huge challenge across the U.S.,” said Burpee. “Tribal governments don’t have a good mechanism for self-funding. The Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah doesn’t levy taxes, they don’t have a revenue stream from gaming and their Tribal Citizens are already taxed by federal, state and local governments.”
New challenges were also introduced by shutdown and shelter-in-place orders. Many tribal members were concerned about the need to isolate and quarantine, and community members who were used to gathering with others and socializing in the community center could no longer do so because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Serving in her fourth term, Chairwoman Andrews-Maltais is no stranger to knowing what the Tribal Community needs: she created an entire COVID-19 Emergency Response Services Team (ERST) from scratch. Her natural resources department was more than adequate in ordinary, and even extraordinary disaster operations, but this response was different.
“We needed to be as inclusive as possible to address these emergency needs of all our tribal members,” said Andrews-Maltais. “So, we contracted tribal members to be our emergency response services team. This not only provided desperately needed work, since most people were out of work due to the pandemic. It also created a sense of familiarity, comfort and connectivity for our tribal members, especially our Elders so they didn’t feel so isolated.”
Regina Marotto from FEMA was also serving as a Tribal Liaison at that time. “FEMA provided a lot of PPE: masks, respirators, face shields, gowns; and medical supplies: thermometers, alcohol pads, ice packs along with emergency food boxes and hand sanitizer,” said Marotto.
“Many Tribal Nations remain wary of the federal government; however, we have been successful in growing our relationships with the Tribes in New England throughout the COVID emergency,” Marotto noted. “It has helped that our team has stayed mostly the same, rather than rotating different people in and out. In my experience working in Indian Country, having the same, consistent, effective point of contact often leads to trust and continued relationship building.”
That is echoed by Chairwoman Andrews-Maltais. “Knowing that FEMA is there with supplies, support and manpower is heartening,” she said. “We feel secure and comfortable in our federal partnership.”
While the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah had faced and overcome adversity on their own in the past, this situation required outside resources. “The limiting factor in almost all (Andrews-Maltais’) decisions was not lack of ability or lack of access — but uncertainty about funding,” said Burpee. “What we offered was an opportunity for them to seek reimbursement for the immediate needs the Chairwoman and her staff identified to protect Tribal Member Citizens and safeguard her people,”
Every possible local and federal agency-from the Indian Health Service to the Salvation Army to FEMA – stepped up to help with funding or people or goods and services.
These partnerships succeed in moving the Tribe toward a new normal while keeping the number of COVID cases relatively low.
“Once we had our capacity identified, we reached out to the other Tribes in the area and shared the resources we were able to secure,” said Andrews-Maltais. “For us as Tribal Nations, we are all related and we feel particularly close to each other during times of stress and struggle. I couldn’t have been happier to be able to help our other Tribal brothers and sisters.”
She added that the COVID-19 response team was essential in their efforts. “Whatever it took to get the job done is what they did,” said Andrews-Maltais. “They are the backbone of the entire initiative and operation. Without their dedication and commitment to our/their people, we could have never been as successful as we have been. They have distributed or delivered thousands of meals and PPE, and have vaccinated hundreds of our Tribal Community Members — all with a smile.”
Though the crisis phase of the pandemic has passed, Andrews-Maltais stresses that collaboration is ongoing.
“We continue to provide food, PPE, durable goods, electronics and general welfare support to our Tribal Members as long as we can reach them,” said Andrews-Maltais.
FEMA representatives continue to support the Tribe. As needed or requested, they check in with the Aquinnah at weekly one-on-one coordination calls. Monthly meetings are held with all Tribes in the region to provide updates, share information and have a direct conversation with FEMA.
The Tribe’s sense of community — coupled with their keen knowledge and fierce implementation of emergency management protocols — have kept them relatively healthy and intact, despite suffering Tribal Member losses due to the virus
“We did our best, and we will continue to try to stop the spread and keep our Tribal Community as safe as possible,” said Chairwoman Andrews-Maltais. “As the Leader of my Tribe, it’s incumbent upon me to do whatever it takes to ensure that my people and my (are) as safe as humanly possible. So, we will continue to work with FEMA and our other federal partners to do just that.”
The literal translation of the tribes name has perhaps never seemed more fitting. For “the people of the first light” at the shore under the hill at the end of the island, the Aquinnah Wampanoag continue to shine brightly as a beacon of hope, strength and resilience.