The People - The Re-Monument

David Weenaatainnini Weeden

David Weenaatainnini Weeden is a citizen of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. He has been anelected tribal council member since 2016.

The Wampanoag, also known as “People of the First Light,” have inhabited present day Massachusetts and Eastern Rhode Island since time immemorial based on oral history, while archaeology reaffirms more than 12,000 years living in these same ancestral homelands. Mashpee Wampanoag are one of the sixty-nine tribes that originally comprised the Wampanoag Nation.

Weenaatainnini is wearing regalia indicative of the traditional Eastern Woodland attire worn throughout the region. He states, “I choose to wear the Eastern Woodland style of regalia to honor our past and to express pride in where I’m from as a Mashpee Wampanoag.”

David Weeden’s recent work began with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe in 2015 as the Deputy Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO)/Assistant Director for the Tribal Historic Preservation Office. In December 2019, he assumed the THPO/Director responsibilities, a job about which he is extremely passionate. David’s past professional accomplishments include working as a cultural educator/interpreter with the Wampanoag Indian Program at the Plymouth Pawtuxet Museum.

Also, he earned an Associate of Science degree in Building Science and Engineering in 2005, and he worked as a draftsperson/detailer after serving as a union labor supervisor for years prior to taking his recent positions with the Mashpee Wampanoag.

Raised in a traditional and culturally grounded family, David relies on tradition, culture, and lifelong teachings as guiding principles to fulfill his various roles and responsibilities. As part of his current role as THPO, a primary function is the preservation, conservation, and protection of the Tribe’s shared cultural heritage.

As an actively involved Tribal member, his civic services include sitting on the Town of Mashpee Select Board (2019-Present), Town of Mashpee Planning Board (2016 – 2019), and on the Cape Cod Commission (2016 – 2024) as the Native American Representative to the County regulatory authority. In his role as an elected Tribal Councilman, he has adamantly confronted systemic oppressions that Tribes face and addresses historical injustices while focusing on the needs of the Tribe for nearly 10 years. As a member of the Tribal legislature, David is a strong advocate in asserting Tribal Sovereignty for the benefit and empowerment of future generations.

Weenaatainnini draws from his cumulative experiences to inform how he manages circumstances in his current roles within the Mashpee Wampanoag nation. He cherishes the opportunity to work for his Tribal community as the THPO/Director engaged in preserving the communal cultural heritage of the Tribe.