Your editorial (“Mashpee Wampanoag deserve a pathway to a reservation,’’ May 8) states that, “members of the tribe greeted the Pilgrims.’’ Actually the tribe, led by Massasoit, rescued the Pilgrims from starvation and made sure they survived the first years in Plymouth. How did we repay such generosity? Less than 100 years later, the cultural genocide imposed by the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Plymouth Colony did its best to wipe out any indigenous people from this land, including by imprisoning friendly Native people who had converted to Christianity, on Deer Island where the majority starved to death. They almost succeeded, but thankfully there are still Native people here. It’s ironic that the federal government puts impediments in the way of recognizing the people that were here and owned the land first. This just perpetuates the colonization of a people who deserve an apology instead. Massachusetts should repay its debt of gratitude by supporting the Wampanoag.

Sarah Blodgett

Concord