Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society, Vol. 4, No. 4 Massachusetts Archaeological Society
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Bridgewater State University Virtual Commons - Bridgewater State University Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Journals and Campus Publications Society 7-1943 Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society, Vol. 4, No. 4 Massachusetts Archaeological Society Follow this and additional works at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/bmas Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons Copyright © 1943 Massachusetts Archaeological Society This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. BULLETIN OF THE MASSACHUSETTS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY VOLIV NO. 4 JULY, 1943 CONTENTS A Note on the Rassanamisco Band of Nipmuc. .Frank G. Speck 49 The Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth . , 57 Spectrographic Analysis of Some New England Steatite. Ripley P. Bullen and David H. Howell . _ 62 "'Prologue to New England" by Henry F. Howe. Maurice Robbins 64 PUBLISHED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS This journal and its contents may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. ©2010 Massachusetts Archaeological Society. A NOTE ON THE HASSANAMISOO BAND OF NIPMUO Frank G. Speck Changing emphasis in social conditions lay down speoifio data, nor are there oon environing the small groups of tribal de servative bodies of the Nipmuo population scendants forming ethnic islands in the surviving in the old habitat to whom we gross populations of the east and south may resort for definitive traditional calls for prompt action in the research matter. Subsequent to their defeat and field. Whatever remains to be learned must dispersion after King Philip's War in 1678 come by word of mouth from older ~mbers of they deserted the Oonnecticut valley and these social denominations before they pass fled northward and westward to merge their into the shades. The unpromising outlook identity with the Pennacook, the Abenakl, across fields worn out and fallow has been and the Mahican on the upper Hudson. an apology among ethnologists for neglecting to cultivate their possibilities. We are, Facts of any nature whatsoever are however, gradually learning to reconsider therefore highly acceptable pertaining to what there may be of value beneath the sur Nipmuc history, or to the natives who face of scrap heaps. carried the name. In the emergency of grasping at straws we turn to a small The Nipmuc of central Massachusetts are group of descendants constituting the in particular a case in pOint. To students still partly intact band known as Hassan of eastern Algonkian dialects and institu amesit or Hassanamisco Indians. A Ireser tions the dearth of existing published know vation" of four and a half acres is now ledge of this group has been a long-standing the remainder of a tract of four square embarrassment. The recent comparative an miles which within the past century, as alysis of eastern cultural traits undertaken claimed by the surviving elders of the with extreme care by Dixon, Michelson, "tribe", has been alienated from their Flannery, Kroeber and others, not to mention possession. One of the group members, Mrs some European scholars who have indulged in Sarah Oisco Sullivan has been for some the task of systematizing American data, years the self-appointed historian of the have suffered by reason of gaps in available Hassanamisco band of Nipmuc, and through information. As for the Nipmuc, even the her memory certain data dealing with band extent of the former band territory in pre history and folk-lore have become avail cise terms is a matter of question. The po able, forming the substance of this report. litical unity of the villages.designated as We shall revert to her source material Nipmuc is another. Accordingly, the Nipmuc shortly. lack the oharacter of a well defined nation in the expressed opinion of most writers. That the Indian descendants of the Their local subdivisions seem to have had Hassanamisco band of Nipmuc are still ten vaCillating associations with adjacent aciously conscious of their identity under groups whose hereditary ohiefs often assumed the old names, calls for some comment upon authority to sanction their land transactions their meaning and application. Aocepting with the English. We cannot yet state even the given translation of the term Nipmuc upon what grounds a distinotion may be made as "Fresh water peopleu , it bears testim~ between the Nipmuc and the Mohegan, Narra to a phase of culture originally possessed gansett Wampanoag, Massachusett and Pen by them as determined by their habitat on nacook ll) tribes who were in close proxim the inland waterways. The lake region of ity to them in the order given - south, what is no~ Worcester and parts of Hamp east and north. Their western oonfines are shire and Hampden Oounties, embracing on also puzzling. On the whole we know them the west, Ohicopee, Swift and Ware Rivers, chiefly as a group speaking an idiom distin as well as ~uinsigamond, ~uaboag, Manchaug guished from those of the tribes just men and Ohaubunagungamaug lakes, with Sudbury, tioned by possession of an 1 in certain po Nashua, Squannacook and Ooncord Rivers sitions between vowels where the others had flOWing north, and French, ~uinnebaug and £ and Z. This suggests affinity with Abena Blackstone Rivers taking a southerly di ki forms spoken by populations of New Hamp rection, was the territory assigned to the shire and Maine. To add to the perplexrty Nipmuc. West of Sudbury River the eastern of Nipmuc classification there are few ref boundaries of the Nipmuc merge with those erences to them in early narratives which we assign to the Massachusett proper. The (1 ) The Pennacook and their confines present another ethno-geographical terra incognita. The monographic study now in course of preparation by Mr. Frederick Johnson of Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts may be expected to clarify their position among the New England peoples. 49 50 MASSACHUSETTS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY: BULLETIN area lies spread out southwest of the great Sinoe the descendants of Harry Arnold, bend of the Merrimaok. One of the outstand through hi-s daughter Sarah M. Oisco, are ing plaoe names of the region is that of the only Hassanamisco people who now hold Hassanamesit, whioh means a "~lace of small their residence in the "reservation,R a stones" in Wew England Algonkian etymology, paragraph may be devoted to the lineage aocording to Gookin (1674). Here a mission and family history preserved by Sarah Cisco was founded by the religious zealots_under Sullivan the present holder of the title. John Eliot in 1654. It was the seat of Nip She writes, ll muc rulers of the Iroyal line • The Hassan amesit mission station beoame deserted liThe four and a half acres of the res shortly after King Philip's War (1676-8), ervation belong to no others but the its oonverts becoming fugitives among the direct desoendants of the family rep then unsubdued Indians westward to the Hud resented by Harry Arnold.. No other son and northward to the villages of the Indians have any claim upon this plot. Pennaoook and Abenaki. The few survivors I have a map of the lands made in 1736 who remained in the home territ6ry stood The records given in the history of their ground near the old miseion of Has Grafton state that the last full-blood sanamesit and came to be known subsequently ed Hassanamisoo Indian died in 1825. as Indians of Hassanamisco. This form of He lived on what is now Brigham Hill, the name bears evidence of the meaning None on what is now left of the reservation. belonging to Hassanamisset," hence "he who To him and his wife a son Harry lives at the place of small stones," or, by Arnold was born in 1825. Some of the interpretation, Ihe who lives by fishing." whites hoping to get control of the The small pond lying between the preeent land stated that the last full-blood reservation and the town of Grafton bore had died that year. Harry Arnold, the this form of the name. It is Goddards Pond son, being tired of their wrangling or Lake Ripple now. In the days of Hassan with him over the land claim let it go amesit it was only the Quinsigamond River. that way, thinking that the people who In later years it was dammed, forming the were Indi~ knew who they were! At present lake. It is evidently named from that time, of oourse, history never the people or from an individual of the ooncerned him! Colonel Brigham and band. We may pass over discussion of fur Mr. Goddard being named trustees of ther conjectures upon these terms, and upon the tribe and agents empowered to con the oonstituency of the Hassanamisco Wipmuo duct its affairs, did however take for of later times. As we shall learn from the themselves several acres of the four assertions of Mrs. Sullivan, the large es square miles- reserved for Indians, tate of land guaranteed to the Indians as leaving the Indians in poor condition a reservation some two hundred and fifty as the years went by. However, the years ago, has dwindled to a small block of Hassanamisco Indians being a people four and a half aores granted to an early who wished for peace, believing in the Indian proprietor, Harry Arnold and his Great Spirit, felt that God would heirs. Its boundaries have shrunk through bring them through. They have always encroaohment by surrounding landholders and been ready to aid a Brigham or a foroed sales. It is not sufficient for the Goddard if called. This has occurred support of the one family of three persons many times in the case of the Brigham now residing upon it.