This program examines the initial 1976 lawsuit (and subsequent appeal) filed by the Mashpee Tribal Council (of Mashpee, Mass.) against the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, citing the illegal seizure of native lands. Host Sixto Escobar reviews the heart of the lawsuit (the 1830 division of this land by the state, without congressional approval, in which each Wampanoag received 60 acres), and speaks with Russell Peters (President of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council) and attorney Ann Gilmore (co-counsel for the Tribe in the trial) about the council's case and the issues raised in court. Program features footage from WGBH-TV's 10 O'Clock News story on the lawsuit and its impact on the town.
