Wampanoag Cultural History: Voices from (First Edition Reprinted) As Compiled and Told by Moondancer ⊗ Strong Woman Aquidneck Indian Council, Inc. Massachusett Language Revival Project Newport, Rhode Island, USA Wampanoag Cultural History: Voices from (First Edition, Revised & Reprinted 2005) Moondancer ⊗ Strong Woman WUNNOHTEAONK ☼ MAY PEACE BE IN YOUR HEARTS Aquidneck Indian Council, Inc. Massachusett Language Revival Project Newport, Rhode Island, USA 12 Curry Avenue Newport, RI 02840‐1412 http://www.rootsweb.com/~rigenweb/IndianPlaceNames.html Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data O’Brien, Francis Joseph, Jr. (Moondancer) Jennings, Julianne (Strong Woman) Wampanoag Cultural History: Voices from Past and Present (First Edition). p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. 1. Culture of Wampanoag Indians. 2. Language of Wampanoag Indians. 3. Contributions of Wampanoag Indians. 4. New England Indian place names. I. The Massachusett Language Revival Project. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 99-60829 Wunnohteaonk ✜ MAY PEACE BE IN YOUR HEARTS Copyright © 1999, 2005 by Moondancer and Strong Woman, Aquidneck Indian Council, Inc., 12 Curry Avenue, Newport, RI 02840-1412, USA. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the Aquidneck Indian Council, Inc. Printed in the United States of America Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved. Psalms, Chapter 15, The Holy Bible CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Peter Lenz generously allowed quotes throughout Chapter III, from: Volume I, Voyages to Norembega c 997-1621 (1994); Skicinuwok Wanbanaghi or People of the Aurora, 1621-1625, vol. 2, Part 1 (1995); Skicinuwok Wanbanaghi or People of the Aurora, 1621-1625, vol. 2, Part 2. (1995); Skicinuwok Wanbanaghi: People of the Aurora, 1621-1625, [vol. 2,] Part 3. (1995). Norway, ME: Maine Performing Arts and Humanities, Inc. Mary Benjamin generously gave permission to transcribe and quote selections throughout Chapter III, from: Princess Redwing, What Cheer Netop. History, Culture & Legends of the American Indians of the Northeast. (1986). (audio-cassette). South Casco ME. Cotton, Josiah (1830). "Vocabulary of the Massachusetts (Natick) Indian Language." Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Historical Society Collection, Serial 3, Vol. II. [Courtesy Karl V. Teeter, Professor Emeritus of Linguistics, and Widener Library, Harvard University]. Eliot, John (1666). The Indian Grammar Begun; or, an Essay to Bring The Indian Language into Rules for the Help of Such as Desire to Learn the Same for the Furtherance of the Gospel Among Them. Cambridge, MA: Marmaduke Johnson [Courtesy of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University]. Eliot, John & Thomas Mayhew (1834) "Tears of repentence: or, A further Narrative of the Progress of the Gospel Amongst the Indians in New-England". Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, 3rd. ser. vol. 4, pp. 197-287. [Courtesy of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University]. R. F. Haffenreffer, Jr. “Indian History of Mount Hope and Vicinity”. Proceedings of Fall River Historical Society, 1927 [Couretsy of Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, Brown University]. Figure 1. TRIBAL TERRITORIES ABOUT 1630. From Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 15 (Northeast), © 1978, Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution. (p. 160). [Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution]. Figure 2. SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND INDIAN SETTLEMENTS AND RESERVATIONS, From Handbook of North American Indians , Vol. 15 (Northeast) © 1978, Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution (p. 178). [Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution]. Figure 3. MAP OF INDIAN LOCALITIES ABOUT NARRAGANSETT AND MOUNT HOPE BAYS From Sowans, © 1908, New Haven, CT: Associated Publishers of American Records. [Courtesy of Rhode Island Historical Society Library]. We acknowledge the following persons and institutions for assistance: • Great Bear, Research Associate, Aquidneck Indian Council • Members and Directors, Aquidneck Indian Council • Rhode Island State Council on the Arts & Expansion Arts • Darrell Waldron, Executive Director, Rhode Island Indian Council • Seaconke Tribe, Wampanoag Nation • Numerous Newspaper Reporters in RI and MA. • Professor Joel Cohen, History Department, University of Rhode Island The book is dedicated to the late Slow Turtle, Supreme Medicine Man of the Wampanoag Nation. We owe much to his kind and gentle wisdom. N∞wômontamŭmun keen. Wunníish. ⊗ We give this book to our children, Brian Coelho (Feet-like-Thunder), Julia Coelho (A-Great-Voice) and Lily-Rae O’Brien (Little-White-Flower). May Keihtanit Bless their journey and help them to do what is right, just and honorable by their ancestors, Kehchisog kah kehchissquaog k∞kas ⊗ k∞sh Wanne Howane ✜ there was no one left alive ✜ This the last war the Wapanahcki fight on this land— The War for the Truth Let all of God’s children’s voices cry out at once Wunnaumwash! ✜ speak the Truth ! ✜ The Great Spirit’s Children Never Die Wampanoag Cultural History: Voices from (First Edition Reprinted) TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS & TABLES ii FOREWORD iii I INTRODUCTION 1 CHRISTIANITY AND EARLY ENGLISH COLONISTS 8 II WAMPANOAG INDIAN CULTURE 10 CULTURAL HISTORY 10 SOURCES & APPROACH 12 END NOTES 14 III CULTURAL OBSERVATIONS ARRANGED BY TOPIC 16 THEIR APPEARANCE 17 GREETING AND LANGUAGE 21 EATING & ENTERTAINMENT 26 SLEEPING & LODGING 28 NUMBERS 30 FAMILY & RELATIONS 32 DOMESTIC 34 THE BODY & SENSES 38 DISCOURSE & NEWS & ORAL HISTORY 40 TIME 42 SEASONS 43 TRAVEL 44 THE HEAVENS & HEAVENLY BODIES 46 WEATHER 47 THE WINDS 48 BIRDS 49 THE EARTH & PLANTING CROPS 52 HELPING THE ENGLISH 56 FIRST THANKSGIVING 57 ANIMALS 59 THE SEA 62 FISHING 63 CLOTHING 64 RELIGION 66 GOVERNMENT & JUSTICE 74 MARRIAGE 77 WAMPUM 79 TRADE 81 i HUNTING 82 GAMES 84 WAR 85 SICKNESS 87 DEATH & BURIAL 88 APPENDICES APPENDIX I CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE WAMPANOAG AND NEW ENGLAND INDIANS TO AMERICA 90 APPENDIX II TRANSLATION OF SOME INDIAN PLACE NAMES IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND 94 • HISTORIC NATIONS, TRIBES & VILLAGES 99 • RESERVATIONS & SETTLEMENTS & OTHER PLACES 101 • MASSACHUSETTS 101 • CAPE COD (NAUSET) 103 • THE ISLANDS 104 • OTHER NAMES 105 • RHODE ISLAND 105 • CONNECTICUT 107 APPENDIX III SELECTED QUOTES FROM WRITINGS OF EARLY AMERICAN COLONISTS AND MODERN INDIAN ELDERS ON NATIVE AMERICAN WOMEN OF WAMPANOAG, NARRAGANSETT & MASSACHUSETT PEOPLES 108 APPENDIX IV SELECTION OF SOME EUROPEANS (ENGLISH-MEN) WHO WROTE ABOUT NEW ENGLAND INDIANS IN THE 1500s, 1600s, 1700s 113 APPENDIX V BRINGING BACK OUR LOST LANGUAGE 115 APPENDIX VI GUIDE TO HISTORIC SPELLINGS & SOUNDS IN MASSACHUSETT (PRONUNCIATION GUIDE) 118 APPENDIX VII NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH, PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION 126 REFERENCES & SOURCES 128 ABOUT THE AUTHORS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FIGURE 1. TRIBAL TERRITORIES ABOUT 1630 3 FIGURE 2. SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND INDIAN SETTLEMENTS AND RESERVATIONS 4 ii FIGURE 3. MAP OF INDIAN LOCALITIES ABOUT NARRAGANSETT AND MOUNT HOPE BAYS 5 FIGURE 4. SOURCES OF INFORMATION FOR THE MASSACHUSETT LANGUAGE REVIVAL PROGRAM 117 LIST OF FIGURES TABLE 1. 17TH CENTURY POPULATION ESTIMATES (BEFORE EPIDEMICS) 6 iii Foreword ⊗ As the Second Millennium nears, a tremendous revival of belonging is taking place among many American Indians in southeastern New England after so many years of struggle. Here in southeastern New England, home of the Wampanoag Indians, many people of Native American ancestry are sorting out the pieces of their humanness. Our Indian culture and language are coming back. The proud and fiercely independent Wampanoag once walked tall and proud on this land. Within a span of 60 years, only 400 (3%) Wampanoag people survived the deadly foreign epidemics and King Philip’s War (1675- 1676). The survivors were confined to reservations, plantations & settlements within a Colonial culture and government throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Then, little by little, the structure of traditional Indian culture was annihilated. The forces of disease, blood mixing, enactment of law, racist attitude, and isolation have disintegrated the looks, language and lore of the Wampanoag Indians. The essence of traditional Indian Spirituality—the Indian language—fell silent about 200 years ago on the mainland of Wampanoia. For so long many people of Indian ancestry have been burdened with shame. We have had to deny to others and ourselves that we come from an ancient civilization that survived here on Turtle Island for over 10,000 years. Very few books on our history and culture have been written by Indians themselves. Most standard academic books read like a clinical autopsy of a dead culture with big words few can understand. The Aquidneck Indian Council was founded by local Native Americans representing several Algonquian Wapanachki tribes. We were formed to produce programs and publications that tell our story and help bring back our ancient language.