Reigning Mashpee Wampanoag Pow Wow Princess Reflects On Impactful and Inspiring Year

Keturah Peters To Crown New Female Tribal Member At This Year’s Pow Wow

(Mashpee, MA – July 1, 2013) – On Sunday, July 7, Keturah Peters - Wampanoag Tribal Member and soon-to-be senior at Mashpee High School – will relinquish her crown as 2012-2013 Pow Wow Princess at this year’s Pow Wow celebration at the Barnstable County Fairgrounds on Cape Cod.

For Peters, who is known as Sweet Dove, this past year has been one of introspection and impact as she strived to be a positive presence for her tribe across the country.  Along with representing the Mashpee Wampanoag at several Pow Wows in the Northeast, Peters also traveled to Washington D.C. and Phoenix, Arizona for two Native American youth conferences to form and strengthen ties with tribes from across the nation.

“As I traveled, I realized my main goal as princess was to make an impact and be a positive influence on my own tribe,” said Peters.  “I hoped to inspire youth to accomplish their goals through education and a greater involvement in tribal culture and traditions.  The best way to inspire someone is to lead by example.”

For a young woman to be considered as a candidate for “Pow Wow Princess,” she must be between the ages of 16 and 21, single, active in her community, have a strong knowledge of her tribe’s history and culture, and have participated in other Pow Wows, particularly through dance.

Reflecting on a journey to remember, Peters will also offer words of encouragement to the newly-crowned Wampanoag Pow Wow princess.  Though the Princess designation is in name only, this honor allows young females to represent their tribes, and receive respect in their schools and communities.

“Keturah has done an outstanding job of representing and honoring our tribe over the past year,” said Cedric Cromwell, Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.  “She embodies several qualities that demonstrate why our tribe has flourished for thousands of years and why it will continue to thrive in the years moving forward.”

An accomplished scholar-athlete at Mashpee High School, Peters is a member of the National Honor Society, her school’s field hockey and lacrosse teams, the Mashpee Wampanoag Youth Council, and a Peer Leadership group.  Peters is also a noted traditional dancer who has completed the Native Tribal Scholars program and won first place in the Cape Cod Art Association show.

Additionally, Peters plans to study psychology in college, and then return to Mashpee and apply her acquired skills to help the Mashpee Wampanoag people.

This year’s Mashpee Wampanoag Pow Wow is held Friday through Sunday, July 5-7, from 10 am till 10 pm.

About the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe:

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, known as the People of the First Light, has inhabited present day Massachusetts for more than 12,000 years. After an arduous 30+ year process, the Mashpee Wampanoag were re-acknowledged as a federally recognized tribe in 2007 and retain full tribal sovereignty rights. There are approximately 2,600 enrolled citizens of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.