Series: Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands
From: WCAI / WNAN
Length: 00:05:07
Those who serve Cape Cod's poor are the first to point out that behind the veil of the affluent summer paradise we all recognize, hides a community that continually struggles to make ends meet. This duPont-Columbia Award-winning series examines the unique factors that contribute to persistent and hidden poverty throughout the Cape and Islands region. Each story is set in one of the fifteen towns on Cape Cod and the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.
This year, the Mashpee Wampanoag will receive word from the federal government regarding their longstanding bid for federal recognition. For the Wampanoag, the hope is that recognition will bring opportunities for federal assistance. As it is, high housing costs are fracturing the native community and creating overcrowding. But an even larger problem may be that in less than a generation, pollution and development have made it hard for American Indians live off the land.
In Waquoit Bay, Annawon Weeden washes his hands at the water's edge for less than a moment before he spots the a woodpecker. He points at a perfectly round hole in nearby tree and listens.
Weeden is a 34-year old Mashpee Wampanoag. He spent much of his youth in near the Mashpee River, where his ancestors have lived for 12,000 years. But as a young man, Weeden was unable to find work in Mashpee for more than $9.00...
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