Chappaquiddick Island (
Wampanoag:
tchepi-aquidenet; colloquially known as "Chappy"), a part of the
town of
Edgartown, Massachusetts, is a small peninsula and occasional island on the eastern end of
Martha's Vineyard. Norton Point, a narrow barrier beach, connects Martha's Vineyard and Chappaquiddick between Katama and Wasque (pronounced
way-sqwee). Occasional breaches occur due to hurricanes and strong storms separating the islands for periods of time. Most recently, the two were separated for 8 years from 2007 to 2015. Though both land forms have, over the course of history, mostly been connected to one another, Chappaquiddick is nevertheless referred to as an island.