Read Next
Geography & Travel
Wampanoag
people
Wampanoag
Category:
Geography & Travel
- Related Topics:
- Northeast Indian
- Mashpee Wampanoag
Wampanoag, Algonquian-speaking North American Indians who formerly occupied parts of what are now the states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, including Martha’s Vineyard and adjacent islands. They were traditionally semisedentary, moving seasonally between fixed sites. Corn (maize) was the staple of their diet, supplemented by fish and game. The tribe comprised several villages, each with its own local chief, or sachem. In 1620 the Wampanoag high chief, Massasoit, made a peace treaty with the Pilgrims, who had landed in the tribe’s territory; the treaty was observed until Massasoit’s death. Bad treatment by settlers who encroached on tribal lands, however, led ...(100 of 208 words)