For Immediate Release February 14, 2025

Native American Wampanoag Tribal Members, Residents Challenge New Sand Mine Underway in Plymouth MA

Groups Demand Cease and Desist Order to Stop Destruction of Ancient Native American Sites

Indigenous People’s Graves, Sacred Sites at Risk

No Archeological or Environmental Study Conducted

Contacts: Meg Sheehan, Attorney

Community Land & Water Coalition

environmentwatchsoutheasternma@gmail.com

Tel. 508-259-9154

Melissa Ferretti, Chairwoman

Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe

melissa@herringpondtribe.org

Plymouth, MA — Seven members of the Wampanoag Nation and six Plymouth residents appealed permits issued by the Town of Plymouth for a 33-acre sand mine and development on an ancient Native American site known as the “Great Lot” in south Plymouth.

By Mankh / Musings from Between the Lines Once upon a timeless . . . the non-human Light-Beings of the Sun cast their rays like life-giving nets upon the waters and the lands of the Earth . . . and all beings stirred awake to do the day’s work (and play) . . . until the nighttimeless when all beings rested and then the stars would guide their dreams . . .

Editor’s note: The team used an excavator to cut a trench through the center of the termite mounds, then carefully took soil samples every 10 cm down and 50 centimeters across. Another example of the hubris of human supremacy.

By Ruth Kamnitzer / Mongabay

Inhabited termite mounds along the Buffels River in Namaqualand, South Africa, are an astounding 34,000 years old, according to a new study.

Termites are a diverse group of insects that play a vital ecological role by breaking down organic matter. They live in complex social groups, and some species create large underground nests. These can include extensive tunnels and chambers where the termites live and store plant material. Some termite mounds can be very old; in 2018, researchers discovered termite mounds in Brazil that were 4,000 years old.