Native American Book Review: The Wampanoag

 The Wampanoag: A True Book by Kevin Cunningham and Peter Benoit, Children's Press and imprint of Scholastic, New York, 2011.

This is a good introduction to the Wampanoag.  I have often wondered where the Wampanoag ended up and I find out they are still there, they are just not so many.  There were as many as 30,000 Wampanoag before they were introduced to Europeans and in 1616 an epidemic resulted in the death of 90 percent of the total.  When the pilgrims arrived the Wampanoag population had been depleted so they were willing to enter an alliance with the newcomers.  Massasoit was the head Sachem at the time and negotiated this peace.  Squanto helped with translation and with teaching the Pilgrims how to live in the new world, raising corn, squash and beans (the three sisters).  This resulted in the first harvest feast which later became Thanksgiving.

The good relations did not laugh.  After Massasoit died, his son became sachem.  However he died after having visited with the settlers.  His brother Metacomet/Prince Phillip then became angry thinking the settlers had killed his brother.  This started what is known as Prince Phillip's war.  Metacomet was eventually captured and killed and his head hung on a stake outside the city wall.  His brother's widow, Weetamoo also  became a sachem and waged war with her people until they were ambushed and she drowned in a river trying to get away.  Her body was found and her head too was displayed outside the city wall.  In the war 2000 Native Americans were killed from several different groups.  Over 600 settlers were killed.  Most every white settlement had been attacked.  There are now about 2000 Wampanoag in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.  

Traditional housing was a wetu also known as a wigwam.  Over a frame of saplings layers of mats were placed which created a warm, dry home.  A fire was kept in the middle.  The sachem does not control the people but enters contracts with outside entities.  The Wampanoag language was almost lost but efforts are ow being made to bring it back.  There are now Wampanoag language classes available.  

Book Review: Squanto: Friend of the Pilgrims

Squanto: Friend of the Pilgrims, Clyde Robert Bulla, pictures by Peter Burchard, Scholastic Inc., New York, 1954.
I found this book and excellent read.  It is a youth book, and historical fiction as it tells the story of Squanto.  However I really found myself engaged with the character Squanto and the things that happened to him.  I had heard he was kidnapped, and it was a good read to see how that happened.  He was sold into slavery, and rescued by some Catholic Priests.  Originally he had gone to England willingly.  He enjoyed his time there, and found it difficult to get home.  When he finally did, his people had all died from disease.  His community had been where the Pilgrims settled, so he moved in with the pilgrims and taught them about how to survive in the new world.  His ability to speak English was a great asset.

Native American Biographies: Native Americans and the Pilgrims: Thanksgiving

Massasoit chief of the Wampanoag maintained positive relations with the Pilgrims throughout his life, except for a brief argument over Squanto.  However when Massasoit was ill, Edward Winslow visited him and nursed him back to health.  From this point Massasoit was a firm ally, even to the point of advising the colonists when others had designs against them.  When his people were invited to the first Thanksgiving, Massasoit attended with about 90 others.  They brought five deer.  It wasn't until after his death, that increasing numbers caused bad will, and King Philip's War resulted lead by Massasoit's son.

Metacomet or King Philip is known for waging war against the Puritan colonists.  Massasoit had brought his sons to the English, and the English governor became their Godfather.  Thus his son was given the name Philip.  This war was perhaps the bloodiest on the East coast.  Over 600 whites were killed and many Indians.  Many cities were vulnerable.  However Metacomet was finally defeated.  He was killed by a vigilante party

Squanto was captured by exploring English and taken to England with designs of selling him into slavery.  He was rescued by friars in Spain.  He designed to make his way home.  He finally did so, but found the area where he was from ravaged by plague, and the Native Americans gone.  However in their place were the Pilgrims.  He served them as friend and educator, and reportedly taught them how to increase the output of their corn using fish for fertilizer.  Massasoit never trusted Squanto, believing he also served the Pilgrims as a spy on the Massasoit.  He often helped negotiate peace treaties between Native American and Whites.  He often served as interpreter.  Squanto became ill and died.  However the circumstances were such that he may have been poisoned by Massasoit supporters.

Samoset was a Pemaquid Indian.  He was the first Native American to greet the Pilgrims.  This was after about three months of keeping an eye on them.  He had picked up some English from the English fisherman who were off the coast.  He greeted them, "Welcome Englishmen."  He left and return with Massasoit and also Squanto who spoke better English.

Book Review: Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgving

Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving by Eric Metaxas illustrated by Shannon Stirnweis, Thomas Nelson, 1999.

This is a children’s story, but it is an incredible story I had never heard before.  I was not aware of the relationship of Squanto to Thanksgiving.  He was taken slave by Spanish profiteers, and taken back to Spain to be sold.  However, a group of monks purchased him.  In helping him return home, he was sent to England with a family, waiting for a ship.  It took him ten years to finally make it back home.  When he finally did, all of his people had passed away from disease.  He lived with a neighboring village for a time, and then grew depressed and went to live on his own in the wilderness.  While there, the pilgrims arrived, and Built a village where his own people formerly had a village.   He decided to help them, teaching them where to hunt, how to gather crab, and how to plant corn.  After a profitable summer, he joined them, along with members of his adopted village, for a large feast of Thanksgiving.