Ousameequin Wampanoag, 11th Great Uncle

February 7, 2013 — 7 Comments

Ousameequin Massasoit

The First Thanksgiving, 1620, was a time of warm feelings and friendly relations between the Plymouth Colonists and the Indians of America. On March 22, 1621, Samoset, an Indian who spoke English appeared on the scene. He once had been kidnapped and taken to London where he learned pigeon English. He helped the Colonists to sow seed and manure the land with fish for a bountiful harvest. He then arranged a meeting between Massasoit, the revered chief of the Wampanoags, a tribe of the Algonoquin Indians, and the leaders of the Plymouth Colony and a Peace Treaty was signed. The Colonists, as hosts at the First Thanksgiving, could speak no Algonguian, the language of the Indians, and the Indians, except Samoset, could speak no English. There must have been much smiling, nodding of heads, pats on the shoulders, and hearty grunting. Of course a three day party where the English shared their new supply of beer certainly was expected to engage many friendships. It is particularly significant that the peace treaty drawn during the feast was never broken during the remaining forty years of Massasoit’s life! From the writings of two of the settlers, Govenor William Bradford and Edward Winslow, as compiled for “The Pilgrim Reader” by George F. Willison: “Our harvest being gotten in, our Governor sente four men out fowling that so we might, after a more special manner, rejoyce together after we had gathered the fruit of our labours. These four, in one day, killed as much fowl as, with a little help besides, served the company almost a week, at which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised out armes, many of the Indians coming amonst us. And amongst the rest, their greatest King, Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom, for three days, we entertained and feasted. And they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the Plantation, and bestowed on our Governor and upon the Captaine and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet, by the goodness of God, we are so farr from wante that we often wish you partakers of our plentie.” 2. Various chroniclers at the time of the First Thanksgiving described Massasoit as being very tall and slender, typical of the Wampanoags, “a very lusty man in his best years, an able body, grave of countenance, and spare of speech”. His clothing, or lack thereof, did not differ from that of his followers, “only in a great chain of white bone beads about his neck” and “Behind his neck hangs a little bag of tobacco, which he drank and gave us to drink; his face was painted with a sad, red like mulberry, he was oiled both head and face and looked greasy, a long knife hanging on a lace at his breast was his only weapon”

After such a warm welcome, things went sour for the tribe. Today they want to build a casino, so the legal battles continue for the People of the First Light.