Petition of Thomas Cooper and Other Gay Head Indians to the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

To the Honourable Senate and House of Representatives in General Court Assembled

We, the undersigned People of Colour, inhabitants of Gay Head in Massachusetts, and descendants of the Aborigines of this place, humbly represent that we are the owners of land lying on Gay Head on which considerable quantities of cranberries grow, the proceeds of which amount to from one to three hundred dollars annually and which principally falls into the hands of the most indigent of the women and children of our tribe who gather the most of the berries and which, to them, is a staple means of support through the winter.  And, as your petitioners already have as many paupers as they can support, are desirous of improving the few privileges handed down to us by our fathers to the best advantage, and believing, as we do, that while some of our thoughtless White neighbours have been and still appear to be desirous of taking from us our means of a living and supporting our poor, the great majority of the good people of this Commonwealth are our friends and will hold out their fostering care over us, and, as we have, heretofore, suffered by the depredations of others and been under the necessity of hiring a watch kept while the berries were a' ripening and believing it will be for our great benefit and advantage if Your Honourable Body will take the prayer of this petition under your special notice and enact such a law as you in wisdom shall deem meet and as will enable your petitioners to recover a fine against all persons who may hereafter gather any of the cranberries on Gay Head without the consent of the majority of your petitioners.

As in duty bound would ever pray