WAMPANOAQ INDIANS IN MASSACHUSETTS

CHIEF WAWANOTEWAT WAS A FAMOUS WARRIOR AND CONTINUED TO LEAD BANDS TO MASSACHUSETTS EVEN AFTER MOST OF HIS FOLLOWERS LEFT THE STATE. THEY HAD ELEVEN VILLAGES. THE WAMPANOAG IS A NATION THAT CONSISTS OF FIVE TRIBES. IN 1600 THE WAMPANOAG LIVED IN SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS, RHODE ISLAND AND IN MARTHA'S VINEYARD. THEY HAD ABOUT 12,000 FOLKS. THEY HAD MANY LEADERS (MEN AND WOMEN) IN HISTORIC TIMES. IN 1616 JOHN SMITH ERRONEOUSLY CALLED THE ENTIRE WAMPANOAG CONFEDERACY AS THE PAKANOKET. WAMPANOAG MEANS PEOPLE OF THE LIGHT. THEY WERE SEMI SEDENTARY WITH SEASONAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN FIXED SITES IN NEW ENGLAND. THE THREE SISTERS - CORN, BEANS, AND SQUASH WERE STAPLES IN THEIR DIET. THEY INCLUDED FISH AND GAME. EACH COMMUNITY HAD AUTHORITY OVER A WELL DEFINED TERRITORY. THEY HAD A SEASONAL ROUND OF FISHING, PLANTING, HARVESTING, AND HUNTING. MOTHERS WITH CLAIMS TO SPECIFIC PLOTS OF LAND PASSED THOSE CLAIMS TO THEIR FEMALE DESCENDANTS.

THE WORK OF MAKING A LIVING WAS ORGANIZED ON A FAMILY LEVEL. FAMILIES GATHERED TOGETHER TO FISH IN SPRING, TO HUNT IN WINTER, AND TO CULTIVATE THEIR FIELDS IN SUMMER. BOYS WERE SCHOOLED IN THE WAY OF THE WOODS, HUNTING WAS A VITAL SKILL. GIRLS WERE TRAINED TO WORK DILIGENTLY IN THE FIELDS AROUND THEIR WETU OR OVAL HOUSE THAT THEY COULD MOVE EASILY.

THEIR PRODUCTION OF FOOD WAS SIMILAR TO THAT OF MANY NATIVE AMERICAN SOCIETIES. FOODS WERE DIVIDED ALONG GENDERED LINES. MEN AND WOMEN PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN MANY OF THE STAGES OF FOOD PRODUCTION. THE WAMPANOAG WOMEN HAD IMPORTANT ROLES IN MANY STAGES OF FOOD PRODUCTION. THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR 75% OF FOOD PRODUCTION. - SOCIALLY, ECONOMICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY. MEN WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR HUNTING AND FISHING. THEY WERE ORGANIZED INTO A CONFEDERATION WHERE A POLITICAL LEADER PRESIDED OVER OTHER LEADERS. BOTH MEN AND WOMEN COULD HOLD THE LEADER ROLES. BOTH MEN AND WOMEN COULD HOLD THE LEADER ROLE. ONCE MARRIED THEY WERE EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN FIDELITY. FAMILY AND CLAN RELATIONSHIPS WERE OF EXTREME AND LASTING PRESENCE. THEY SPOKE AN ALGONQUIAN LANGUAGE AND A DIALECT OF MASSACHUSETTS - WAMPANOAG. THEY HAD A DECLINE OF THEIR LANGUAGE AFTER THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. THEY WERE FORCED TO MARRY OUTSIDE THEIR LINGUISTIC STOCK.

IN 1524 KING FRANCIS OF FRANCE CAME TO NORTH CAROLINA AND ESTABLISHED OUTPOSTS OF IN FLORIDA. DURING THE 16TH CENTURY NEW ENGLAND WAS WAS WHERE EUROPEANS TRAVELLED AND CAPTURED NATIVE AMERICANS AS SLAVES AND SOLD THEM TO INCREASE THEIR EARNINGS.

IN 1620 THE PILGRIMS ARRIVED IN PLYMOUTH ROCK AND THE WAMPANOAG TAUGHT THEM HOW TO PLANT AND CULTIVATE CORN AND COLLECT SEAFOOD. THEY HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP. THEY TAUGHT THEM HOW TO SURVIVE IN THE WILDERNESS. BY THE END OF THE 1600'S ALCOHOLISM HAD BECOME RAMPANT AMONG MALES IN NEW ENGLAND ETHNIC COMMUNITIES. MANY TURNED FOR HELP FROM CHRISTIAN SYSTEMS. WOMEN WERE ATTRACTED TO CHRISTIAN SYSTEMS. WOMEN WERE ATTRACTED TO CHRISTIANS ESPECIALLY WHO HAD MALE RELATIVES. AND HUSBANDS WHO WERE DRINKING ALCOHOL.

THE WAMPANOAQ AND ENGLISH SHARED MANY TRAITS, DRESS, HAIRSTYLES, AND GOVERNANCE. THERE WERE THREE RESERVATIONS ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD. THE INDIANS LOST VALUABLE AREAS OF THE REMAINING LAND. IT WAS DISTRIBUTED BY THE INDIANS. IN 1849 THEY OWNED 690 ACRES OF INFERTILE LAND. ABOUT 2000 WAMPAQ SURVIVE AND LIVE ON THE RESERVATION. THEY HAVE A POWWOW EVERY YEAR. THEY HAVE BUILT A CASINO. A REMNANT OF WAMPAQ WHO LIVE IN BERMUDA.

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