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There has been a lot of drum beating by the Wampanoag (wom pa no ag) Indians in Eastern Massachusetts. They are seeking the promised appeasement of opening a gambling casino. Everyone agrees they should be allowed to build one, "but just not in our town." The most recent action was in the city of Taunton, located in Southeast Massachusetts, near the Rhode Island border. The vote was overwhelmingly 'For', but that is not the final step in a complicated process.Therefore, the Wampanoag tribe continues to beat their drums. This tribe lived in SE Massachusetts at the time of the Pilgrims, but there is also evidence that they were active in our city. They used our high terrain, now known as Mount Hood, to send smoke signals to other tribes as far away as Mount Wachusett. This is slightly over 40 miles from Melrose. Of course they were limited by Call Waiting. They had to wait for a low level of wind before sending their smoke signals. It is a known fact that this tribe introduced blueberries to our area. Inevitably, they also were the first to introduce our early settlers to smoked meats. July 6, 2012
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