Wampanoag natives greeted the Pilgrims at Plymouth—Martha’s Vineyard Wampanoag have called Aquinnah home since prehistoric times.
English settlers named the place Gay Head and later promoted its multi-hued clay cliffs as a natural wonder:
“The Head is one of the most remarkable freaks of Nature; a very high cliff thrown up with seven different colored clays; the contrast is very striking; the place is called by scientists extremely wonderful. It also has one of the most important Lights on the American coast, presented to the United States by the French Government; it consists of 1,100 different lenses. Do not fail to inspect it.”
The Wampanoag tribe gained federal recognition in 1987, and in 1997, by popular vote [39 to 36], the town changed its name to Aquinnah, Wampanoag for “land under the hill.”
The unspoiled southwest beach (Philbin and Moshup) of Aquinnah spans miles. The sand is fine and the ocean is open and wild. It is a national treasure. But be aware: many bathers are stark naked. Bike the coastal Moshup Trail and its moody moors will take you back in time.