INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA John R. Swanton Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 145, 1952 Pages 19,20 & 22,23 Massachuset. Meaning "at the range of hills," by which is meant the hills of Milton. Connections. The Massachuset belonged to the Algonquian linguistic stock, their tongue being an n-dialect, and formed one group with the Narraganset, Niantic (East and West), and Wampanoag, and probably the Nauset. Location. In the region of Massachusetts Bay between Salem on the north and Marshfield and Brockton on the south. Later they claimed lands beyond Brockton as far as the Great Cedar Swamp, territories formerly under the control of the Wampanoag. Subdivisions Johnson (1881) says that there were "three kingdoms or sagamoreships having under them seven dukedoms or petty sagamores." Some of these undoubtedly correspond to the divisions recently worked out by Speck (1928) by means of provincial documents. He identifies six main divisions, two of them further subdivided, all called by the names of their chiefs, as follows: (1) Band of Chickataubut (including the later bands of Wampatuck and some other of his heirs and a district and band earlier controlled by Obatinnewat or Obtakiest), all of the Massachuset territory south of Charles River and west of the neighborhood of Ponkapog Pond. (2) Band of Nanepashemet, all the Massachuset territory north of Charles River. Nanepashemet's domain was afterward divided among his three sons: Winnepurkit, owning about Deer Island and in Boston Harbor; Wonohaquaham, owning about Chelsea and Saugus; and Montowampate, owning about Lynn and Marblehead. (3) Band of Manatahqua, about Nahant and Swampscott. (4) Band of Cato, a tract 5 miles square east of Concord River. (5) Band of Nahaton, around Natick. (6) Band of Cutshamakin, Cutshamequin, or Kutchamakin, about Dorchester, Sudbury, and Milton. Villages Conohasset, about Cohasset. Cowate, "Praying Indians," at the Falls of Charles River. Magaehnak, probably "Praying Indians," 6 miles from Sudbury. Massachuset, location uncertain. Mishawum, at Charlestown. Mystic, at Medford. Nahapassumkeck, in the northern part of Plymouth County, probably on the coast. Natick, "Praying Indians," near the present Natick. Neponset, on Neponset River about Stoughton. Nonantum, on Nonantum hill, in Newton. Pequimmit, "Praying Indians," near Stoughton. Pocapawmet, on the south shore of Massachusetts Bay. Punkapog, "Praying Indians," near Stoughton. Sagoquas, south of Cohasset. Saugus, near Lynn. Seccasaw, in the northern part of Plymouth County. Titicut, "Praying Indians," possibly Wampanoag, in Middleborough town. Topeent, on the north coast of Plymouth County. Totant, at or near Boston. Totheet, on the north coast of Plymouth County. Wessagusset, near Weymouth. Winnisimmet, at Chelsea. Wonasquam, near Annisquam, Essex County, perhaps a later outvillage. History. The Massachuset were visited by several voyagers, beginning at least as far back as the time of John Cabot but were first particularly noted by Captain John Smith, who coasted their territory in 1614. In 1617 they were much reduced by a pestilence and about the same time they were depleted by wars with their north-eastern neighbors. The Puritans settled in their country in 1629, and mission work was soon begun among them, and was pursued with particular zeal by John Eliot. The converts were gathered into separate villages, where they gradually declined in numbers and presently disappeared as distinct bodies, though a few descendants of the Punkapog town people are still living in Canton, Mattapan, and Mansfield. Population. The number of Massachuset is estimated by Mooney (1928) to have been 3,000 in 1600. In 1631 it was reduced to about 500, and soon considerably below that figure by smallpox. Connection in which they have become noted.—The Massachuset gave their name to Massachusetts Bay and through that to the present Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Massachuset are also noted as the tribe in which the famous apostle to the Indians, John Eliot, labored, through whom a large part of them were gathered into villages of "Praying Indians." The "Eliot Bible" and other works by him have preserved a knowledge of the Massachuset language to our own day. Crispus Attucks, who was killed in the Boston massacre and is generally regarded as the first victim of the American Revolution, was of mixed Negro-Massachuset ancestry. The marriage of Winnepurkit, a Massachuset chief whose lands were about Boston Harbor, to the daughter of Passaconaway, chief sachem of the Pennacook, was made by Whittier the subject of a poem, "The Bridal of Pennacook." Pages 22,23 Nipmuc Nipmuc. From Nipmaug, "fresh water fishing place." Connections. The Nipmuc belonged to the Algonquian linguistic family, their language being an l-dialect. Their nearest relatives were the other tribes of Massachusetts and the tribes of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and the Hudson River Valley. Location. The Nipmuc occupied the central plateau of Massachusetts, particularly the southern part of Worcester County, but they extended into northern Rhode Island and Connecticut. (See also Connecticut and Rhode Island.) Subdivisions and Villages Acoomemeck, location uncertain. Attawaugan, near Attawaugan in the town of Killingly, Conn. Chabanakongkomun, near Dudley. Chachaubunkkakowok, location uncertain. Coweset, in northern Rhode Island west of Blackstone River. Hassanamesit, at Grafton. Magunkaquog, at Hopkinton. Manchaug, near Oxford. Manexit, near Thompson, Conn. Mashapaug, at Mashapaug Pond in the town of Union, Conn. Medfield, at Medfield, native name unknown. Menemesseg, near New Braintree. Metewemesick, near Sturbridge. Missogkonnog, location uncertain. Muskataquid, location uncertain. Nashobah, near Magog Pond, in Littleton. Nichewaug, about Nichewaug, near Petersham. Okommakamesit, near Marlborough. Pakachoog, near Worcester, probably in Millbury. Quabaug, near Brookfield. Quadick, near the present Quadick Reservoir, Thompson County, Conn. Quantisset, on Thompson Hill, near Thompson, Conn. Quinebaug, on Quinebaug River near Quinebaug Station, town of Thompson, Conn. Quinetusset, near Thompson in northeast corner of Connecticut. Segunesit, in northeastern Connecticut. Tatumasket, west of Mendon, in the southern part of Worcester County. Wabaquasset, about 6 miles from Quinebaug River, south of Woodstock, Conn., sometimes regarded as an independent tribe. Wacuntug, on the west side of Blackstone River, near Uxbridge. Wenimesset, at New Braintree. History. There was no coherence among the people bearing the name of Nipmuc and some of them were from time to time attached to the more powerful tribes in their neighborhood, such as the Massachuset, Wampanoag, Narraganset, and Mohegan. The Whites first met them after Plymouth and the Massachusetts Bay were settled. In 1674 there were seven villages of Christian Indians among the Nipmuc but in 1675 practically all took part with King Philip against the colonists and at its close fled to Canada or to the tribes on Hudson River. Population.—Mooney (1928) estimates that there were 500 independent Nipmuc in 1600. If we consider as Nipmuc the Indians re-turned from Worcester County, Mass., and Windham and Tolland Counties, Conn., in 1910, there were then 81. Pennacook. The following bands of Pennacook lived in the north-eastern part of Massachusetts: Agawam, Nashua, Naumkeag, Pentucket, Wachuset, Wamesit, and Weshacum. (See New Hampshire.)