Wampanoag Tribe Of Gay Head Aquinnah

Wampanoag Tribe Of Gay Head Aquinnah, a federally recognized Native American tribe based in Aquinnah, Massachusetts, receives federal grants as a prime recipient across tribal government, education, environmental, health, and infrastructure programs; the tribe does not compete for federal contracts and holds no federal contract vehicles.

The tribe is tribally owned and American Indian owned, operating as a tribal government entity. Its federal award footprint is dominated by formula grants and project grants flowing directly to the tribe for community benefit, with no subcontract activity. Recent work spans broadband connectivity, environmental and air quality monitoring, transportation infrastructure, child care services, elder nutrition and supportive services, library operations, climate action planning, historic preservation, marine mammal stranding response, public health workforce expansion, and disaster recovery. A $500,000 award from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration under the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (CFDA 11.029) effective August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2030, will fund subsidized home networking equipment and 12 months of broadband service for 375 tribal households and upgrade community anchor building infrastructure in Aquinnah. The Environmental Protection Agency awarded a $449,427 Performance Partnership Grant (CFDA 66.605) for air and water quality monitoring, environmental capacity building, and hazardous waste management through September 30, 2028. The Federal Highway Administration provides annual formula grants under the Tribal Transportation Program (CFDA 20.289) to support transportation planning and infrastructure, including a $417,402 award in fiscal year 2022 and multiple subsequent-year awards. The tribe also received a $149,444 cooperative agreement from EPA Region 1 under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program (CFDA 66.046) to develop Priority and Comprehensive Climate Action Plans addressing greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration through December 31, 2025.

The Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education leads award volume with 56 grants, followed by the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (30 awards), the Environmental Protection Agency (29 awards), HHS Administration for Community Living (19 awards), and the Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (18 awards). These five agencies account for 51% of the tribe's recent award count. The tribe maintains recurring formula grant streams from the Administration on Aging for Title VI elder services, nutrition incentive programs, and Native American caregiver support (CFDA 93.047, 93.043), the Office of Child Care for child care development fund mandatory and discretionary grants, the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education for Indian Education Formula Grants to LEAs, and the National Park Service for Historic Preservation Fund grants supporting Tribal Historic Preservation Office activities. A single sub-award appears in the source: the tribe received sub-grant funds from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in July 2023 for COVID-19 vaccine outreach to Native Americans addressing health disparities and access barriers.

The tribe's award trajectory shows activity concentrated in formula grants and formula-based project grants. Over the past five years, award volume declined from 11 awards in 2022 to 7 in both 2025 and 2026, reflecting the cyclical nature of federal tribal grant programs rather than competitive procurement. Eleven awards face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months and will require reapplication or renewal. The combined potential value reported across all 298 awards in the source is anomalously low ($32 thousand noted in the activity block), but the combined dollars obligated across all awards total $62.1 million, suggesting the system is reporting historical obligations rather than uncommitted ceiling values typical of contracts. The tribe operates at scale across federal tribal government support infrastructure and does not pursue federal contracts or vehicle-based procurement; its federal footprint consists entirely of direct grants to tribal entities as recipients under Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act authorities and other tribal-set-aside grant programs.