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Aquinnah Wampanoag journalist Joseph Lee investigates the difficult subject of Indigenous identity in his new book, “Nothing More Of This Land“. He uses his own family’s story as a jumping off point, exploring the reality of the people who once greeted the Mayflower. The original Wampanoag homeland includes Martha’s Vineyard, the haven for wealthy elites that has become so expensive that at least three quarters of tribal members can no longer afford to live there. Lee branches out from there to find parallels among the Native people and places he’s covered — from Alaska to the halls of the United Nations. We’ll talk with Lee about his new book, journalism, and what it means to be Native in modern America.
Shawn’s conversation last week with Joseph Lee drew me in and made me want to learn more. I found Aquinnah on the map, looked up Gay Head online and found “Nothing More of this Land” available as an audiobook on Libby, which I completed over the weekend. I love the way Joseph lets us see the world at first through his own young eyes, then we follow his path of curiosity toward understanding his own tribe and family and purpose. Thank you, Joseph, for such a personal glimpse, finding answers under layers of complexity and helping this non-Native guy in Canandaigua, NY have a greater appreciation for the struggles and hopes of my neighbor.