Closing a chapter in the landmark sovereignty case, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) this week agreed to submit town permit applications for the shed and pier it built on Menemsha Pond in 2001.

The announcement comes at a time of renewed cooperation and communication between the town and tribe, and marks a significant moment in the long-running case that has garnered widespread attention and reached the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) announced this week that it will not appeal the landmark sovereignty case to the United States Supreme Court.

The decision means that the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) decision from late last year will be allowed to stand, and the case will now return to the superior court for a remedy.

Leaders of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) now have until July 2 to decide whether they will try to convince the United States Supreme Court to hear their appeal of the much-watched case over tribal sovereignty.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has denied a petition by the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) to hold a new hearing on the much-watc

Wampanoags Ask High Court to Reconsider Sovereignty Case

By JAMES KINSELLA
Gazette Senior Writer

The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) has asked the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) to reconsider a case freighted with long-term implications for the tribe's sovereignty and land use powers.

The tribe's attorney, Douglas J. Luckerman of Lexington, filed the motion last Thursday with the SJC, the highest court in Massachusetts.

On Dec. 9, the SJC ruled against the tribe in the case.

In a much-awaited decision that has far-reaching implications for the Vineyard and the commonwealth, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled