Nonprofit receives funds for indigenous environmental education

August 28, 2026 - 01:04

A $50,000 grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center is headed to Sassafras Earth Education Inc., an Aquinnah-based nonprofit that has spent more than twenty years connecting people with the land through Indigenous knowledge and sustainable living practices.

The funding will be put back into the local community by expanding educational programs that center on ecological stewardship and traditional ways of knowing. Sassafras focuses on hands-on learning experiences that teach participants how to live in balance with the natural world, drawing on Wampanoag and other Indigenous perspectives.

The organization has long operated as a small but steady presence on the Island, offering workshops, school partnerships, and community gatherings that emphasize food sovereignty, land care, and seasonal awareness. With this new support, leaders say they plan to reach more residents and deepen existing offerings.

The grant comes at a time when environmental education is increasingly looking toward place-based and culturally grounded approaches. Sassafras aims to model how local action and ancestral knowledge can shape a more resilient future. The group has not yet announced a full schedule of new programming but expects to roll out expanded sessions over the coming year.