The Wampanoag Indians have had a lasting cultural impact on the United States and an interesting and difficult history. This article explains various challenges throughout history faced by the Wampanoag tribes, as well as their culture, history, language and other cultural features. This tribe continues to exist today, albeit on a very small level; however, efforts are continually made to preserve their history and heritage. This article summarizes different events and provides resources related to the Wampanoag tribes. Does this Spark an idea?
The Facts
The Wampanoag Indians were Indian tribes of the Northeast. Most famously, they greeted the original pilgrims who arrived at Plymouth Rock. They fed them turkey and corn, which led to the holiday Thanksgiving, still a common and important holiday in the United States today. The Wampanoag were considered "people of the dawn" because they lived in the New England area, where the sun rises.
Identification
The language Wampanoag spoken by the tribes was also referred to as Massachusett and was considered an Algonquian language. The language is no longer spoken today. The Wampanoag lived primarily in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The Wampanoag recognized a head Sachem as their political leader. The head Sachem would oversee other Sachems. The Wampanoag power structure was similar to that of a confederation.
Features
The Wampanoag's diet consisted primarily of fish and wild game. In addition, commonly grown crops were squash, corn and beans. A Wampanoag's duties were decided mainly by gender. At an early age, men were taught to hunt in the early winter and fish in the springtime. Women were responsible for farming and gathering wild fruits. The Wampanoag did not recognize premarital sex as a sin or unacceptable; however, once a couple decided to marry, they were expected to remain faithful to one another. There was some polygamy practice among the Wampanoag, but monogamy was more common.
History of
In 1620, the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. They were greeted by the Wampanoag tribe, who had already been settled there for approximately 100 years. At first, they lived in peace, and the Wampanoag shared food with the pilgrims, which, of course, led to Thanksgiving. After several years, relationships began to sour. More and more British settlers arrived and wanted to claim the land owned by the Wampanoag. They introduced the Wampanoag to alcohol, which resulted in rampant alcoholism among the tribe. While men were drunk, the pilgrims would acquire their signature on documents that stated they were selling their land. This is how the pilgrims extracted land from the Wampanoag. Metacomet, the Wampanoag leader the British referred to as "King George," grew angry of this practice, and when he insisted it be outlawed, the British refused. This resulted in a war between the two groups in which the Wampanoag were heavily defeated. This drove many of the Wampanoag into slavery and some into hiding. Their tribes and language were outlawed by the British settlers.
Size
The Wampanoag numbered in the area of 12,000 at their peak. After the war, they were handily reduced to 2,000. They settled in the New England area in the United States. Among their territory were Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and the Elizabeth Islands.
Time Frame
The first known contact between Europeans and Wampanoag occurred in the 1500s. Most encounters were peaceful. The first known conflict occurred in the year 1614, when Captain Thomas Hunt kidnapped and sold several Wampanoag natives. In 1620, the first Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. By the mid 1600s, the Wampanoag was reduced to nearly 3,000 due to disease and war. By 1675, they were reduced to 1,000. Eventually, remaining Wampanoag were either slaves or in hiding. The Wampanoag were permitted to reclaim their heritage in 1928. In 1993, an initiative was started by Jessie Little Doe Baird called the Wampanoag Language Restoration Project.
Effects
The Wampanoag along with the Pilgrims are responsible for the Thanksgiving holiday. Their language eventually led to the naming of the state Massachusetts. Also, through the Wampanoag Language Restoration Project, a Wampanoag dictionary now exists, consisting of 8,600 words.
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