Mashpee Selectmen Looking to Design New Town Seal

MASHPEE – A new town seal for the Town of Mashpee is in the works.

At a recent meeting, Mashpee selectmen voted unanimously to create a seven member ad hoc committee to design a draft for a new town seal.

The decision comes after a petition article to change the existing town seal passed May Town Meeting in a unanimous voice vote.

The committee will be chaired by a selectmen who will be chosen in January and will include Town Planner Evan Lehrer, Superintendent of Schools Patricia DeBoer, administrative assistant Terrie Cook, Library Director Kathleen Mahoney, historical commission member Joan Tavares-Avant, and a tribal council designee to be determined by the Mashpee Tribal Council.  

Cook will also serve as the recording secretary for the committee.

“This committee would put together a plan, would review it, would come up with a design draft that would come back before the board of selectmen,” said Town Manager Rodney Collins.

“I would suggest the proposed town seal be accepted by the board and subsequently brought before town meeting for adoption, possibly by May but if not, certainly by October.”

Many residents in the town feel that the current town seal, which is a replica of the state seal, does not recognize the culture of Mashpee and serves as a reminder of the genocide of Native Americans.

Creating a new seal gives town officials the opportunity to honor and reflect on the town’s history and will allow them to create something that will be appreciated and valued by the town for years to come, according to Collins.