Some links for "Identity in Mashpee"

James Clifford's "Identity in Mashpee" is one of the most important readings of the entire semester. Be sure to come to class ready to discuss how ideas of "culture" figure in the trial that Clifford describes -- as well as why Clifford writes the chapter in the way that he does.

We are going to focus on the Clifford chapter as a kind of story in its own right about the problems of discussing culture, identity, and tribe at the end of the twentieth century. However, it's worth pointing out that there have been recent developments in the Mashpee Wampanoag quest for recognition. Last year, the Bureau of Indian Affairs accorded the "tribe" federal recognition. You can view the tribal website here, and read an article about the recognition here.

This is a longer Boston Globe magazine article about the choices facing young Mashpees. It perhaps won't surprise you that the Mashpees have put forward a proposal for a casino; federally-recognized tribes have the right to negotiate with states to operate casinsos now, something that was not true during the trial that Clifford describes. An article from just last week points out that the Mashpee proposal is meeting resistance.