OUR PAST

Wattuspaquin Sachem of Assawompsett - Our great Sachem at the time of King Philip's War was coined the Black Sachem by the English for his magic abilities, Impervious to bullets and said to be able to turn into a black wolf or ball of fire at any time. He was the husband to Mionamie, the daughter of Supreme Sachem Massasoit Ousameequin; Who saved the English in 1621. Wattuspaquin and his brother in law Pometacomet led several raids against numerous New England towns including Scituate, Hingham, Weymouth, Bridgewater, Middleborough and Plymouth leading to multiple victories early on in the war. During the summer of 1676 a majority of his band was captured by Captain Benjamin Church when trying to flee north to the Abenaki; Wattuspaquin turned himself in after being sworn immunity by Church but was murdered upon arrival to Plymouth and his body was quartered as gifts for the militiamen. Mionamie, now a widow, raised their children Benjamin Pamantaquash and William Tuspaquin alone. 

Benjamin survived and married Weecum, Together they had Benjamin Jr, Esther, Mary and Hannah Tuspaquin. For the next century Assawompsett and Nemasket people would take on the roles of barbers, doctors, teachers, whalerman, and other quintessential roles within their societies as well as the settler society evolving around them. Hope Quam, The daughter of Hannah Tuspaquin and Joshua Puttaquaponockquam, A Mohegan, served as schoolhouse teacher on the Watuppa reservation in Freetown, Massachusetts; she traveled back and forth from Assawompsett to the reserve to help the development of Wampanoag youth. She died in 1811, survived by her daughter Susan. 

Over the course of the 19th century the families living within the two sister villages of Assawompsett and Nemasket amalgamated, strengthening their principle settlement at Nateawahmet (Betty's Neck) in Lakeville Massachusetts, Named after Betty Assawetough, the daughter of 17th century Massachusiiuk traitor John Sassamon.  

 In early fall of 1855 American naturalist Henry David Thoreau visited Nateawahmet to sightsee our petroglyph sites and upon his visit he recorded his interactions with one Assawompsett family Thomas Smith and Pamelia Sepit Hector and noted that they could identify every species of fish in the pond as well as the depth at certain fishing holes. 

During the 19th Century several state and federal censuses were taken to count the families and people still living within traditional Assawompsett-Nemasket homelands. One of the more notable persons who recorded these folks was John Milton Earle, whose responsibility was to “Report to the Governor and Council, Concerning the Indians of the Commonwealth”. Today, our tribal citizens are the direct descendants of multiple families recorded within the Earle Reports. 

 The Wampanoag Nation was reorganized in 1924 after it had been split culturally for over 150 years. There was a revitalization of culture led by Nauset and Mashpee Chief Sagamore Red Shell Clarence Wixon Sr, who, amongst leaders from Assawompsett-Nemasket, Aquinnah, Herring Pond, Mashpee, Nauset and Pocasset were able to unite the communities and elect nation Chiefs and establish leadership positions. Princess Starlight, Luctretia Manuel, Assawompsett Medicine Woman and Wolf Clan mother married Red Shell in 1927; They had two sons, Neakeahammuk Lightning Foot Clinton Wixon and Msqui’pinoquet Red Blanket Clarence Wixon Jr. They excelled in maintaining the Assawompsett-Nemasket Dialect of Wampanoag as well as maintaining cultural relevance within a fast paced 20th century for their people. Clarence was made Chief of the Assawompsett-Nemasket and his brother was proclaimed Sagamore “ Sub Chief '' of the band. Red Blanket passed July 27th 1990 and Massachusetts Governor proclaimed that July 27th be known as Chief Red Blanket Day, as it was “The greatest loss from Nova Scotia to Martha's Vineyard in over 50 years”. When Neakeahammuk passed away November 9th 2003, the Boston Globe published that “The Last fluent speaker of Wampanoag had died”.