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.  

Black Indian Biographies: Paul Cuffe: New England Trader

Paul Cuffe in silhouette

At one point Paul Cuffe was the richest man of color in the United States.  His father was a former slave who was born in Africa, perhaps in Ghana.  His mother was a Wampanoag Indian from Martha’s Vineyard.  His father came as a slave to Massachusetts, and likely worked as a servant.  He was able to earn extra and buy his freedom, and married Ruth Moses.  The Massasoit were the Indians that greeted the Pilgrims, first in friendship, and eventually in war as the newcomers wanted more and more land. 

Paul Cuffe was the seventh of ten children.  He was always interested in the sea as they lived close, and went to sea young as a mariner.  He could see the ship owners made more than the seamen, so he and his brother built a ship.  He began to make good money, and invested in other ships.  By his early twenties he was doing well, and took a wife of the Massasoit as well, Alice Pequit.  By prospering, Cuffe proved someone of African American or Native American heritage could succeed as well as someone of White descent.  Cuffe became interested in many community causes.  He built a school on his own land, providing education for his kids in a setting free from persecution.  Local children were also welcome to attend.  Cuffe thought of himself as both black and Indian, but as he grew older, he took an active role in African American and slavery issues.  He was of the Quaker faith, and with them he was an abolitionist.  He paid to establish a colony of ex-slaves in Sierra Leone in Freetown.  He made several trips there.    He also supported people financially who were moving back to Africa. 

Excerpts from Proud Red and Black: Stories of African and Native Americans, William Loren Katz and Paula A. Franklin, Antheneum Books for Young Readers, New York, 1993.

Documentary Review: American Experience: We Shall Remain: After the Mayflower

In this first episode at a series looking at Native American history after the coming of the Europeans deals with the Pilgrims and their relationship with the Wampanoag people.  The Wampanoag had gone through a devastating plague just before the English arrived at Plymouth Rock.  This plague was likely brought to them by European fishermen who had started to have contact with the Native Americans along the coast.  As a result, the English found a territory underpopulated.  The disease had taken a great many lives.  Chief Massasoit watched the Pilgrims with caution.  It wasn't for three months after they landed that the Native Americans finally decided to make contact with them.  Because they had brought their children and wives, it was felt they could be trusted.
This story deals with the many years of peaceful relationships between the British and the Massasoit.  This helped the Pilgrims get established.  The story of the first Thanksgiving is fascinating, as Massasoit attends with many of his warriors.  The bring five deer to contribute to the feast.
There is a period where Massasoit falls ill, and he is nursed back to health by a friend from amongst the pilgrims.  By the first year of the Pilgrims coming to America there was a peace treaty in place between the two peoples.
Before Massasoit passed away he asked the British to give his sons Christian names.  His older son was given the name Alexander, and the younger Phillip.  The peaceful relations between his people and the British would last even beyond his death in 1661.  His son Alexander continued the peace.  However when his next son, Phillip, took over as chief things began to deteriorate.  Phillip (Metacomet) could see that the British intent was to take over, and that his people would only be second class citizens in their own country.  The British tried to extend their laws to his people, and it just didn't fit.  He felt disrespected, and no longer an equal.  Finally he formed an alliance with several neighboring tribes, and initiated a war against the British.  It was very effective against those communities that were not well defended.  Many towns were burned, and many settler had to retreat to larger communities.  However, the Mohawk aligned with the British, and killed 500 of his warriors in an attack.  After that Phillip and his people did not have the strength to carry on.  Phillip visited the community of his youth, where he was killed.  His body was dismembered, and parts given to different people for their part in his death.  His head was mounted on a pike and placed at the entrance to Fort Plymouth as a warning against others who may attack.  His wife and son were captured and sold as slaves in Bermuda.

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.