Join Aquinnah Select Board Member Juli Vanderhoop, Dukes County Commissioner Doug Ruskin, Register of Deeds Paulo DeOliveira, and MVM Research Librarian Bow Van Riper on June 4, 2026 from 5pm to 6pm for the first of a two-part exploration of how Dukes County came to be, at the Martha's Vineyard Museum. 

Focusing on the Island and its surrounding waters through the mid-18th century, this conversation draws on both English colonial records and Wampanoag perspectives to examine how governance, land, and identity were shaped through encounter, negotiation, and imbalance.

Why “Dukes” County? Who—or what—is the “Duke”? And what did that designation mean in a place already deeply known and named by the Wampanoag people?

This is the foundation of the communities we recognize today, viewed from multiple perspectives and with attention to voices too often left out of the official record.

Arrive early—join us at 4pm in the First Light Café for COMPLIMENTARY drinks & light bites.

MVM Members: $15; Non-Members: $25