The Massachuset People

(at Ponkapoag)

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The Native American History was oral and WAMPUM was used as a tool to help the teller to remember the details. Most of this Wampum was confiscated or stolen and very few persons exist who are able to use it. What follows is some of our History as written by non Native Americans.

1646 Rev. John Eliot begins preaching to Indians at "The place of Rejoicing," Nonantuin, (later Newton); on Sept.14, he preaches for the first time to the 'Neponset Indians' at Vose's Grove near the mouth of the Neponset River

1650 Christianized Indians begin moving to Natick, 'A Place of Hills," at the fringe of settled English areas to form what will become the first 'Praying Town' of Bay State Indian converts

1655 Eliot begins to plan a second 'Praying Town' for the Neponset Indians, writing 'They desire to make a town named Ponkipog, and are now upon the work' 'Though our poore Indians are much molested in most places in their meetings in way of civilities, yet the Lord hath put it into your hearts to suffer us to meet quietly at Ponkipog for which I thank God, and am thankful to yourself and all the good people of Dorchester. And now that our meetings may be more comfortable and favorable, my request is that you would please to further these two motions: Fist, that, you would please to make an order in your towne record, that you approve and allow ye Indians of Ponkipog there to sit down & make a town.. My second request is that you would appoint fitting men who may in fit season bound and lay out the same and record it also. And thus commending you to the Lord, I rest.

1657 Dec. 7, Dorchester votes an area not to exceed some 6,000 acres for a new Indian town specifying "that the Indians shall not alienate or sell their plantation unto the English, upon penalty of loss or forfeiture of their plantations."

1658 The Provincial Government; appoints guardians to protect the interests of Indians gathering at Punkapoag

1667 Josias, then sachem of the Massachusetts tribe, requests from Dorchester that a deed for 6,000 acres be made out to his council including Squamaug, Ahanton, Momentaug, William Ahanton, Assarvaske & old Chinaquin

1667 In May, a committee from Dorchester visits the site at Punkapoag for the purpose of a survey, returning to Dorchester without providing the indian township with the requested deed

1669 Punkapoag continues to grow as a town for the Indians of the Milton, Canton, Sharon, Foxboro, Stoughton, Mansfield, and Dorchester areas, with 8 to 10 individuals formally admitted to its church

1675 A description of the community at Punkapoag tallied 12 families or some 30 'souls' at the town.

1676 On Nov. 10, Daniel Gookin found at Purikapoag some 35 men, 140 men & children, residing at the town and writes:

"There is a great mountain, called the Blue Hill, lieth north east from it about two miles… this is the second praying town..... They have a ruler, a constable, and a schoolmaster. Their ruler's name is Ahaton; an old and faithful friend to the English. Their teacher is Wm. Ahaton, his son; an ingenious person and pious man, and of good parts. Here was a very able teacher, who died about three years since. His name was William Awinian. He was a very knowing person, and of great ability, and of~genteel deportment, and spoke very good English... In this village, besides planting and keeping cattles & swine, and fishing in good ponds, and upon the Neponsitt river. they are also advantaged by a large cedar swamp; wherein such as are laborious and diligent, do get many a pound, by cutting and preparing cedar shingles and clapboards, which sell well in Boston and other English towns adjacent.

1676 The community at Punkapoag, although not a part of the 'King Philip War, was removed to Long Island in the Boston Harbor, subsequently, to Brush Hill in Milton before being permitted to return to their homes.

1687 An estimated half of the Punkapoag Reservation was lost to Eberiezeer Billings; large portions of the remainder obtained by others through 'leases' with the guardians appointed for the Indians at Punkapoag.

1704 By order of the General Court, leases at Punkipog were reviewed, there still being no actual plan or deed for the 6,000 acres awarded the Indians from within what was their aboriginal territory.

1725 The General Court orders a survey of the lands belonging to the Punkapoag Indians

1756 Robert Spurr, then Punkapoag guardian, requests leave of General Court to survey the ;Punkapoag lands

1760 A plan.of the Punkapoag lands is finally approved, giving to the Indians some 710 acres of their original qrant, all their other lands having been alienated in less than a century under the care of appointed guardians

1783 Ponkapoag guardians sell Indian lands

1784 A census of the Punkapoag Indians determines that the 'tribe 'consists of 21 males & 32 females

1790 Ponkapoag guardians sell Indian lands

1789 Ponkapoag guardians sell Indian lands

1805 Ponkapoag guardians sell Indian lands

1827 Ponkapoag guardians sell the last parcels of Indian parcels of land belonging to the 'tribe'

1849 A state census determines the 'tribe' consists of 10 ~ & 6 females

1857 Ponkapoag guardians claim the "Punkapoag tribe of Indians is nearly extinct; only some fifteen or twenty and those mosty of mixed blood, remain"

1860 John Milton Earle undertakes a census of the Punkapoag descendants 'as part of a state-wide census of Indians

1869 Massachusetts passes an Act of Enfranchisement, making all Indians citizens, terminating Indian tribes

This was the pattern followed by the colonies, then the 13 original states, then the United States and continues to this day. First seize the land, move the indigeoneous people away and finally declare them non entities.

FAMILY NAMES

These are the family names from the1800s
Bancroft, Burr, Burrill, Philbrick, Croud, Robbins, Davis, Black, Elisha, Hunt, Mooney, Moore, Myers, Roby, Smith, Stemberg, Hall, Jackson, Lewis, Manuel, Talbot, Thomas, Toney, WIlliams, Foster. All of these names are anglezied as are the place names that still in use. After time, many persons married into the Neponsitt / Ponkapoag communities to create the illusion that land leases and sales were legal. You may click on the names for more 1800's detail.

These persons were receiving payments from the state: Isaac WIlliams, Rebekah Davis, Polly Croud, Elizabeth Bancroft, Sally Burr. The reasons are unclear except by inference that the state failing in its obligations conferred an annuity upon them for their needs since all other tribal support was forceably removed.

If you can trace one or more of your ancestors to one of these names most of which are in eastern Massachusetts, you are invited to apply for tribal status. Write for details.

Pennacooks in MA also	Indian Names	Seconke Wampanoag
NA Mass Geneology	Diabetes Wellness	Cowasuck
First Nations	Canton Historical Site	Natick Praying Indians
Pequot Museum	Wandering Bull	From Contact to present
Massachsetts BIA	NA Internet Resources	Ponkapoag Plantation
EARLE REPORT	Satellite View of Blue Hills	How it happened!
Teacher Info	Plimoth	NewBedford's Contribution
Webser-Dudley Nipmuc	The Briggs Report	Harvard NA Program
The Guy Scott Story	Boston Harbor Is	Robbins Museum

The Massachuset People

FAMILY NAMES

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