Photo by Dasia Peters.
In the heart of Mashpee, a group of determined Wampanoag youths are championing a cause that is both a return to their ancestral stewardship and a step forward in environmental activism. Their focus is on the herring, a fish that is not only crucial for their tribe’s diet, fertilizer, and bait needs but also holds profound spiritual and ecological significance.
Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Peters noticed something alarming: the herring’s roe was discolored and polluted, a stark indicator of the ecosystem’s distress. This discovery prompted him to take action and reach out to the Tribe’s Natural Resource Commission.
At the same time, educator Talia Landry was exploring the concept of Rights of Nature, a legal movement that assigns natural entities the same rights as individuals. This aligns seamlessly with the Wampanoag values, which recognize that nature, while often treated as property, has an inherent right to exist and flourish.
In April 2023, the Mashpee Wampanoag Native Environmental Ambassadors, a youth group formed with the guidance of Landry, drafted a Rights of Nature State of Emergency Resolution. This resolution was unanimously passed by the Tribal Council, marking a significant step in legal environmental protection efforts.
The resolution is not just about granting rights to nature but acknowledging the rights that nature inherently possesses. It’s a call to protect these natural beings using both Western law and the sovereignty of the tribal nation.
The Mashpee Wampanoag youth’s initiative is a beacon of hope and a testament to the power of youth-led environmental activism. Their story is not just about protecting the herring but about safeguarding a way of life and ensuring the health of all beings connected to it.
Read more and listen to the story on WCAI, Local NPR for the Cape, Coast & Islands, at A Mashpee Wampanoag youth group works to protect a beloved fish, by Elspeth Hay, April 25, 2024.