Wampanoag volunteers are restoring Massachusetts lands. As reported by The Associated Press and MassLive, a project called The Wampanoag Common Lands aims at restoring 32-acres of what used to be a Catholic summer camp along Muddy Pond in Kingston. The Native Land Conservancy received the donated land this year. The group hopes to restore the land with indigenous plants and animals, hold cultural ceremonies, and provide education for new generations about Wampanoag traditions.Â
The project location is historically significant — five miles from where the Mayflower touched ground and sparked English and later American colonization of native lands. Restoration projects such as this are especially important given the effects of climate change, which are threatening many tribes’ health and ways of life.