Glossary

Algonquian

An anthropological classification for 33 distinct tribes including the Wampanoag, Abenaki, and Ojibway who are part of the Algonquian language group. This classification does not include the Iroquois.

 

Aquinnah

"The end of the island" or "the seashore." Europeans named this part of Martha's Vineyard Gay Head, after the "gaily colored cliffs."

 

Commission on Indian Affairs

The commission is a group of representatives from Native nations in Massachusetts. It serves as a liaison to the state.

 

Cotuit

A Wampanoag name meaning "the speaking place." Originally a part of Mashpee, this village is one of seven in Barnstable, Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

 

Great Swamp Massacre

Site of a fort where Wampanoag people were burned to death by the English during the King Philip War.

 

Hyannis

This Cape Cod town is named for a Wampanoag chief, Iyanough, who lived there in the 1600s.

 

King Philip

The English name for Metacom.

 

The King Philip War

An offensive led by Metacom in 1675 "to push the English back into the sea," in response to the devastation of his people and their loss of land.

 

Legends

There is no word in the English language which expresses the role of oral tradition in Native cultures. Sometimes words like legend or myth are used but these do not adequately represent the value, importance, and validity of oral tradition.

 

Mashpee

Mashpee is one of the major Wampanoag communities. It means "big pond" or "big Water." Mashpee pond is the largest body of fresh water on Cape Cod.

 

Massachusetts

An area where Wampanoag people lived. It means "place of the little mountain" and the name of the state is derived from this Wampanoag word.

 

Massasoit

A term which means "high one." Massasoit (1585-1660) was a highly respected sachem of Pokanoket. One of his names was "Ousamequin," which translates to "yellow feather." Massasoit negotiated the first treaty with the Pilgrims. He signed the treaty to restore the balance of power between his people and the Narragansett after the effects of the plague on the Wampanoag.

 

Medicine man

An English term for a traditional tribal spiritual leader and advisor.

 

Metacom

Massasoit's younger son who became Sachem in 1662 after his brother Wamsutta died. The English named him King Philip.

 

Moshup

Moshup was a giant who cared for and protected the Wampanoag in the earliest times. He is often referred to in Wampanoag oral tradition.

 

Narragansett

A nation of Native American people who are the southern neighbors of the Wampanoag.

 

Nipmuc

A nation of Native American people who are the western neighbors of the Wampanoag.

 

Noepe

The Wampanoag name for the island of "Martha's Vineyard."

 

Oral tradition

Established ancient history that is passed down verbally from generation to generation.

 

Paw wau

This is the Wampanoag term for he or she who heals. The English mistakenly applied this seventeenth-century term to the gathering or ceremony a paw wau was leading.

 

Pequot

A nation of Native American people who are the southwestern neighbors of the Wampanoag.

 

Pilgrims

A small band of English immigrants who came to this continent seeking religious freedom, land, and profit. They were the first "boat people" to settle on this continent.

 

Plimoth Plantation

A living history museum of the seventeenth century in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The museum includes the 1627 Pilgrim village of "New Plimoth" and the Wampanoag Indian Programs' Hobammock's Homesite.

 

Pocasset

A Wampanoag word which is now the name of the village of Bourne, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It means "place that is clear."

 

Powwow

A gathering where Native American families and friends come together. During the gathering there is dancing, and socializing, and native crafts and food are sold. The word comes from paw wau (see above definition).

 

Quahog

A hard-shelled mollusk with purple coloring on the inside edge. The word "quahog" is derived from the Wampanoag word "paqah."

 

Sachem

A traditional tribal leader who is responsible in part for the government and the welfare of the people. The English might have referred to this person as "chief."

 

Santuit

"The sachem's place." Santuit is also the name of a pond and a river in Mashpee which flows into Popponesset Bay.

 

Seasonal Thanksgivings

The Wampanoag seasonal harvest festivals include Strawberry, Maple Sugar, and Cranberry.

 

Squanto

A Wampanoag captured and taken to Europe for seven years. When he returned home he found his village decimated by European illnesses. Squanto then chose to aid the English as their interpreter. In this role Squanto often sought his own personal gains and is seen as a traitor by many Wampanoags.

 

Strawberry Thanksgiving

A Northeast Native American celebration that observes the moon of early summer when strawberries grow.

 

Succotash

A dish made with corn and shell beans; sometimes meat such as rabbit or venison is included.

 

Teepee

A skin-covered, conical shaped, traditional home used by native people in the Great Plains.

 

Wampanoag

A nation of Native American people who live in southeastern Massachusetts. The word means "People of the First Light" or "People of the Dawn."

 

Wampum

"Wampum, made of quahog shell, is as precious and dignitary as any gem to the Wampanoag. It sustains our health, critiques our history, and adorns our apparel." -- Joan Avant Tavares, Mashpee Wampanoag.

 

Watuppa

A pond and Indian reservation located in Freetown, Massachusetts, owned jointly by the Aquinnah and Mashpee Wampanoag tribes.

 

Wetu

A dome-shaped house covered with bark or mats. The word "wetu" is derived from the ancient Wampanoag word "wigwam."

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