The Wampanoag tribe originally lived in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, but now primarily reside in southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and Martha’s Vineyard. They had a partly nomadic and partly sedentary lifestyle, with fishing and hunting as their main sources of food. The tribe had an organized hierarchy and helped the Pilgrims survive their first winter. However, tensions increased over time, leading to King Philip’s War, which resulted in significant casualties for the Wampanoag tribe. As of 2010, the Wampanoag population is around 3,000, and some members still maintain aspects of their ancient culture.
The Wampanoags are a Native American tribe that originally occupied parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In modern times, the Wampanoag tribe lives primarily in southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard. During the early 1600s, the Wampanoags were one of the first Indian cultures to have contact with pilgrims. Relations between the two cultures began with a general spirit of cooperation but this changed rapidly. Ultimately, the Wampanoag tribe was all but wiped out due to a mix of disease and warfare.
Historical Wampanoag had a partly nomadic and partly sedentary lifestyle. During the summer and spring, most communities lived near the ocean so they could take advantage of the fishing opportunities. In the colder months, they moved inland and survived mostly by hunting. Agriculture was also an important source of food, and when the weather was warm, they grew several crops, including corn, beans, and squash.
Wampanoag houses were made by stretching woven mats over wooden looms. The floor mats were lightweight and removable. This made it simple for the Wampanoag tribe to change living locations seasonally, thus taking the mats with them and reusing them elsewhere. The wooden frames were generally left behind, allowing the tribe to quickly return and rebuild when the weather changed again.
Socially, the Wampanoag tribe had an organized hierarchy involving leaders called sachems. At the head of the tribe was a chief, sometimes referred to as the grand sachem, with more authority than anyone else. Sachems generally received more respect than ordinary Wampanoags, but they were not treated like kings and did not have unlimited power. It was not uncommon for a woman to become a sachem if no male heir was available.
When the Pilgrims landed in 1620, the Wampanoag tribe helped them survive the harsh New England winters, and overall there was a good relationship between them. A peace treaty was negotiated that lasted until the late 1600s. During that time, several severe epidemics greatly reduced the Wampanoag population. Some of these diseases were most likely of European origin.
Tensions between the two cultures have increased over time as settlers have taken more land for themselves. In 1675, there was an incident involving the hanging of three Wampanoags who were accused of killing a Christian Native American named John Sassamon. Supposedly, Sassamon had warned of an impending Wampanoag rebellion and was treacherously killed. The execution was one of the things that caused the Wampanoag grand sachem Metacomet – known to the British as King Philip – to declare war on the settlers. Several other Native American tribes joined the battle and the conflict is known in history as King Philip’s War.
The main part of the fighting lasted about a year. During that time, the Wampanoags suffered significant casualties, not only among their warriors but also among their women and children. Large numbers of settlers also died in the fighting, but Native Americans in general suffered far more casualties. Other tribes that had initially joined the battle slowly broke away, leaving Metacomet and Wampanoag alone.
In the summer of 1676, Metacomet allegedly executed one of his tribesmen for soliciting surrender and the man’s brother led the English to the Wampanoag encampment. The tribe was surrounded and Metacomet was killed in the ensuing fighting. This effectively ended the main part of the war, but fighting continued until a peace treaty was signed two years later. According to reports at the time, only about 400 Wampanoags had survived by the end of the conflict.
As of 2010, the Wampanoag reconstructed their official population to about 3,000 individuals, and many more people have Wampanoag ancestry. There is a Wampanoag reservation on Martha’s Vineyard with local government, including schools and other facilities. Some modern tribal members have fought to maintain aspects of their ancient culture, and many still celebrate traditional festivals alongside tribal festivals.
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