The Pokanoket Tribe and Federation, believed at one time to be comprised of some 8,000 people, traditionally occupied the land mass now know as Cape Cod, Southern Massachueetts and jEastern Rhode Island, including most of the islands in Narragansett Bay. In Bristol Rhode Island, at the head of Narragansett Bay, was "Potumtuk" today called "Mount Hope" which was celbrated as the seat of the Massasoit (Great Leader) of all the Wampanoag People.
Contacts between Pokanoket/Wampanoags and Europeans are known to have occurred early in the 16th century. In 1620 a group of about 40 English men, women and children who had traveled from England aboard the ship Mayflower, landed in what today is called Plymouth, Massachusetts. These Europeans came to owe their very survival to the kindness and generosdity showed them by the Pokanokets in 1620 and 1621. From these early encounters between the English colonists and the indigenous people of the Pokanoket Tribe and Federation grew the stories of the first Thanksgiving. At this time, during the reign of Massasoit Ousa Mequin (Yellow Feather), relations between the Pokanokets and the Europeans were peaceful as they would remain for some forty (40) years.
With the European colonists, however, had come the contagious deseases of that continent, diseases against which the indigenous populations of New England had little natural defense. It is estimated that the indigenous poplulation of this region was reduced by as much as 90 to 95 percent within the short span of some five years. Moreover, incresased European immigrations brought heightened insensitivity to the Native culture, land rights, and way of life. Increasing tensions between the colonists and the indigenous peoples of the region eventually led to King Phillips War of 1675-1676. Philip was the English name taken by Ousa Mequin's second son, Metacomet, who had become the Massasoit of the Wampanoag after his older brother Massasoit Wamsutta was poisoned. Metacomet had come to be regerred to as "King Philip" by the English in recognition of his poistion as equal to that of their King Charles.
The war fought between two peoples who had lived in proximeity for more than forthy years, was fought with horrific intesity and, though short in duration, proved to be a desperate and ugly struggle for survival for either side. Proportionatley more Europeans died in King Philip's War than in any other conflict between Native Americans and Eropeans.
King Philip's War came to have no formal end. Hostilities died out only after the Eruopeans had captured and executed all the Algonquin leaders who oppsed them and had inflicted unotld death and suffering on a people not quite prepared for war fought with European finality. Philip was killed in battle near Mount Hope in what is now the Townhsip of Bristol, R.I. on Ausust 12, 1676. His son, Metom and wife Wootonekanuske, had been captured by the English. Philip was ambushed at the edge of the swamp near Mount Hope and was shot by the Indian named Alderman, who fought with the English Captain Benjamin Church. Philip's body was desecrated, beheaded, and quartered. Philip's head was sent to Plymouhth and displayed on a pole. One of Philip's hands, which was disfigured as a child, was given to Indian Alderman as a reward. All organized resistance to the English ended with the capture of Annawon. Annawon was the Great Massasoit's brother-in-law and Missinnege of the Pokanoket/Wampanoag Indian Federation. Missinnege was the title given to the leader of all the warriors of the Pokanokets, the Head Paniese warrior.
On August 28, 1676 Philip's Great Captain, Annawan, who had in like capacity served his father, the Great Massasoit, was captured by Captain Benjamin Church at a place still know as Annawan's Rock, in the town of Rehoboth. At the death of Philip, Annawon had Error! Not a valid embedded object- Chief Sachem or King of the Pokanoket/ Wampanoag Nation. Annawan was 85 years old when he died. He left a son and 3 daughters. His son was also called Annowon and was 11 years old. Despite promises to the contrary by Benhamin Church, Annawon was executed by the English and his head diplayed on a pole in like fashion to Philip's.
Many Pokanokets were dispersed throughout the Northeast, as far west as the great Lakes and north to Canada. Families were separated with members sold into slavery and shipped to Bermuda, the Azores, and Europe, among other places. Some continued to live in Southern New England. To cite the Handbook: "In fact, many Indian communities survived the war, and Indian groups have continued to exist in certain parts of Southern New England until the present...However, the war terminated the Indians military and political power, and afterwards dealing with Indians were no longer important matters of public policy. The Indians found themselves relegated to lower levels of colonial society at large, sometimes in the status of indentured servants....They were sometimes treated as charity cases or, at the other extreme, actively discriminated against or cheated, but generally they were simply ignored." p.177)
Evidence exists to demonstrate that the Pokanoket/Wampanoag contined to survive in the regions of their ancestral homeland. The Handbook is helpful on this point as it lists numerous sothern New England locations known to be places where many Pokanoket/ Wampanoags, among other Native Americans, took up residence. Many of these settlements were referred to as "praying towns".
If the remnant of a once great people were simply ignored, it was so long as they were content to live their lives as a lost and nearly invisible people. Without any political representation, their lands were simply taken. With their very right to exist as a people denied, they lived their lives with constant discrimination, under the canstant pressure to deny their indigenous identity, culture, and heritage.
Yet as life and the Creator would have it, such conditions led many of the pople of Pokanoket to hold their great heritage, language, and customs, closer to heart, hidden and secret from the English world around them, These "way showers" passed their history and beliefs on from generation to generation through example and the oral tradtion.
Despite losing military and polical power to the English colonists in their attempts to destroy Pokanoket, it's heritage and culture,
Despite the loss of their land and the means of self determination and self sufficency,
Despite all that has been endured,
The people of Pokanoket continue to practice and hold dear the ways of their ancestors before the Great Creator.