Fast Facts
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Aquinnah is a town located on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. Prior to 1998 the town was officially known as Gay Head, which it is still called by most Islanders from the neighboring towns, but this name does not reflect as well the year-round population of a primarily Native American population. The population was 344 at the 2000 U.S. census. It is known for its beautiful clay cliffs and quiet natural serenity, things which have become less common in the heavily populated Northeastern United States. Below the clay cliffs is Lucy Vincent Beach, more commonly referred to by Island locals as "Jungle Beach" for the lack of clothing worn. It is not a public beach, but open to town residents and their guests only. A Town Sticker is required to park and enter this beach. It's one of the few nude beaches left in the U.S. More recently, it has become celebrated as a center of Wampanoag culture and a center of pride and tradition among members of the tribe, who make up about one-third of the town's voters. This area is one of the earliest sites of whaling, done from shore by the Wampanoags, long before the 19th century industry of whaling became the major maritime industry of Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and New Bedford, Massachusetts.
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