On Martha's Vineyard, tribal elders work to restore land to its pre-colonial state

David Vanderhoop, 67, at Sassafras Earth Education, an indigenous Wampanoag nonprofit that he runs with his wife on Martha's Vineyard, Mass. (Sophie Park for NPR)

AQUINNAH, Mass. — Off the coast of Massachusetts, the island of Martha's Vineyard is bustling with summer tourists packed into beaches, yacht clubs, and restaurants. A tour around the 96-square-mile island would almost certainly include scenes of tall lighthouses, sprawling estates with manicured laws, and colorful cottages that can be rented for upwards of $330 a night.

But that's not the island life David Vanderhoop lives or wants.