NativeAmerican

//Wampanoag// means People of the First Light. Other name's for this tribe throughout history include "Wapenock,""Massasoit" and "Philip's Indians". In 1616, John Smith wrongly referred to the entire Wampanoag people as the Pokanoket. The name Pokanoket continued to be used in the earliest of colonial records and reports. They are believed to have inhabited the area where the first Thanksgiving occurred for 12,000 years before the Mayflower arrived

__ Culture __
The Wampanoag were semi-sedentary This means that unlike many Native American tribes the didn't move much. They did make seasonal movements between fixed sites within present day New England. The "three sisters," maize(corn), beans and squash were the mainstays of a diet that also include fish and several types of meat. Each community had authority over certain territory from which the people derived their livelihood through a seasonal round of fishing, planting, harvesting and hunting.

The Wampanoag, like many Native American peoples, had a matrilineal system This means that women were central to most aspects of their lives and community. women controlled property and one's family lineage was trace through one's female ancestors. Young married couples often went to live with the female's parents. Women elders could approve selection of chiefs or sachems, although males had most of the political roles for relations with other tribes, and fighting wars.

The Wampanoag people made their living as a family. How they made their living depended on the season as nature was a focal point in their lives both spiritually and physically. Families gathered together in the spring to fish, in early winter to hunt and in the summer they separated to cultivate individual planting fields. Boys were taught to hunt so that they could provide food for their families. Women were taught how to cultivate the crops and gather wild berries, as well as tend to the house. Because of the emphasis on crops in their diets, women were responsible for up to seventy-five percent of all food production in Wampanoag societies.

The Wampanoag were lead by a head sachem, or political leader, who presided over a number of other sachems. The English often referred to the sachem as “king”. This comparison however is faulty do to the difference in their roles and power.

__**Famous Wampanoag**__

**Tisquantum** Tisquantum, better known as Squanto, was a Wampanoag Native American who was kidnapped and sold into slavery by the Europeans prior the arrival of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony. He was adopted by local friars who taught him English. He then convinced the friars to let him try to return to his native land. He made his way to London where he worked for a ship maker or brought him to Newfoundland. Squanto then found his way back to his home village which is now part of Massachusetts. Shortly after his return, the pilgrims arrived in Plymouth. When the newly arrived pilgrims had a hard time surviving the cold New England winter, Squanto used the English he had learned in his time in Europe to help the English colonists learn the native method for growing of Maize (a kind of corn). He also taught the colonists how to fish for herring and eels as well as hunt local animals for food. Squanto lived with the colonists and was a go between or ambassador for the Pilgrims and Massasoit.

Massasoit
Massasoit was the Wampanoag sachem (chief or leader) at the time of the first Thanksgiving. For the Wampanoag, the ten years before the arrival of the Pilgrims was the worst time in their history. Between 1616 and 1619, the Wampanoag suffered from an epidemic that caused many deaths. Becuse of test done in 2010, we now believe the epidemic was leptospirosis, or 7-day fever. Those most affected by the illness were those who had traded with the early French and English colonists or were around with those who did. It was thought that the leptospirosis which Europeans had some immunity to was carried to the "New World" by Europeans and transferred to the native people who had never been exposed to it before. Because of the affects of disease and pressure from neighboring tribes for land, Massasoit was very eager to trade with and become allies with the New English settlers. In March 1621 Massasoit visited Plymouth, accompanied by Squanto. He signed an alliance which gave the English permission to take about 12,000 acres (49 km2) of land for Plymouth Plantation. Through this peaceful alliance and Squanto's (as well as others') help given to the pilgrims, The Wampanoag and Pilgrims had the first Thanksgiving. Peace between the two groups lasted for the rest of Massasoit's life. The Pilgrims helped the Wampanoag defend themselves against an invasion by another Native American tribe and even nursed Massasoit back to health when he fell ill. The Wampanoag under Massasoit's leadership helped the Pilgrims grow and hunt for food and served as interpreters with other tribes which opened up new trade avenues for the Pilgrims.

__ **Wampanoag Today** __

Today there are slightly more than 2,000 Wampanoag people. Most of them live near or on a reservation located in the western most part of Martha's Vineyard, MA.

The following is a video that gives some information about the Wampanoag media type="youtube" key="AulijVSHD-8" height="315" width="420" align="left"

Below is a grade sheet. Click on the Thanksgiving feasters to return to the main page media type="custom" key="11415676" width="150" height="150" align="left"



Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wampanoag_people http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/history/first-thanksgiving/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squanto