Wampanoag Heritage Day

Join us for the sixth annual Wampanoag Heritage Day, a fun-filled celebration of Wampanoag culture at Heritage!

Event Overview:

• Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

• Admission: All activities are free with museum admission or membership.

Daily Schedule & Activities

• 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM | Live Performance

  • Watch a performance by the Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers showcasing eastern social songs and dances (audience participation encouraged!).

• Hands-on Crafts

  • Craft a corn husk doll to take home.

• Cultural Exhibits

  • Explore the wetu (a reproduction of a historic dwelling), the mush8n (a reproduction dugout canoe), and the Three Sisters demonstration garden—all created in collaboration with local Wampanoag partners.

• Artifacts & Shopping

  • View and learn about historic Wampanoag artifacts found on the land that is now Heritage Museums & Gardens.

  • Visit a native artisan to shop for handcrafted contemporary wampum jewelry.

This event is rain or shine!

Featured Performers: Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers

The Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers are a group of musicians, educators, and artisans from the tribal communities of Mashpee on Cape Cod, Aquinnah on Martha’s Vineyard, and Herring Pond in Bourne.

Performance Style & Instruments

• Educating & Entertaining: Their performances of eastern social songs and dances educate and entertain audiences of all ages across museums, schools, and multicultural events.

• Traditional Attire & Instruments: They dress in traditional clothing, accompanying their songs with a water drum and handcrafted rattles.

• Interactive Focus: They encourage audience participation and prefer to “dance with the people instead of for the people.”

Notable Appearances & History

In addition to performing at Heritage, they have toured throughout New England and as far away as Bermuda, Hawaii, and the United Kingdom.

Notable venues and events include:

• Prominent Institutions: Jacob’s Pillow, John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, The Peabody Essex Museum, Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, Brown University, and Stonehill College, Mashpee Powwow, Cambridge Arts Council, The Mary Baker Library, and Aptucxet Trading Post Museum.

• National Broadcasts: For three years, they participated in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, heading up the First Light Float and delivering the televised land acknowledgement.