Cape Cod National Seashore Hosts a Celebration of Wampanoag Culture on June 1

Date: May 14, 2013
Contact: Sue Haley, District Interpreter, 508-255-3421 ext. 15

Visit Salt Pond Visitor Center on June 1, 2013 to participate in a celebration of Wampanoag culture and traditions. Several craftsmen and artists from the Aquinnah and Mashpee Wampanoag communities will demonstrate and discuss refined traditional skills from their Eastern Woodland culture that have been carried down through time. Included will be weaving techniques of twining and finger weaving by Elizabeth Perry; cooking and food preparation by Kitty Hendricks-Miller; pottery production by Kerri Helme; and the production of utilitarian tools and utensils through woodworking and stone making techniques by other participants. Several of these artists contributed to the furnishing of the newest permanent section of the museum exhibit, "People of the First Light" installed in 2011. Demonstrations will take place at the Salt Pond Visitor Center from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM

At 1:00 PM, the Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers will perform an interactive program suited for all ages and designed to sweep the audience out of their seats. This group of Mashpee and Aquinnah Wampanoag has impressed and educated numerous school groups and community organizations during performances across New England. They filled the Salt Pond Visitor Center Amphitheater during their 2011 program.

All activities are free, open to the public, and wheelchair accessible. Sponsorship is provided by Eastern National, the national seashore's education partner that operates bookstores at two national seashore visitor centers.

If You Go:Salt Pond Visitor Center is located at the intersection of Route 6 and Nauset Road in Eastham and is open daily from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Starting June 1, it is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The center includes a lobby with expansive views of Salt Pond, Nauset Marsh, and the Atlantic; a museum featuring the park's natural and cultural stories; staff to assist with trip planning; and a store with books, maps, puzzles, games, and apparel. There are short films shown throughout the day. The Buttonbush and Nauset Marsh Trails, and the Nauset Bike Trail are located nearby. For more information on Cape Cod National Seashore programs call 508-255-3421, or check the park's website, www.nps.gov/caco.