Historical Articles
The English Entered A Indigenous World: Borderlands, Diplomacy, and Power in Early New England
Challenges the myth that Indigenous political authority disappeared after Plymouth, demonstrating how the Pokanokets and Narragansetts continued shaping early New England through diplomacy, borderlands, and competing spheres of influence.
Who Speaks for the Past? Indigenous Memory, Survival, and the Pokanoket Question in Southern New England.
Why do different Indigenous communities remember the same history differently? This article explores how war, survival, and colonialism shaped competing memories of the Pokanoket, Wampanoag, Mashpee, and Aquinnah, challenging readers to reconsider who speaks for the Indigenous past.
Aquidneck Island, Ousamequin, and the Problem of Indigenous Borderlands
Who held influence over Aquidneck Island before colonization? This article challenges the idea that the 1638 Narragansett deed settled the question. Instead, it argues that 1638 was the beginning, not the conclusion of our understanding of Aquidneck’s deeper Indigenous history. Drawing on oral tradition, colonial accounts, geography, and modern scholarship, the article explores Aquidneck as a contested Indigenous borderland shaped by the Pokanoket–Narragansett rivalry, the Great Dying, and shifting regional political power.
Pokanoket or Wampanoag?: The Origins of Names
The Indigenous people who first interacted with the Pilgrims in 1621 identified themselves as Pokanoket, not Wampanoag. The widespread use of "Wampanoag" to describe this group is a colonial-era distortion that emerged after King Philip’s War (1675–1678), obscuring the true political and cultural identity of Massasoit Ousamequin’s people.
The Seizure and Transformation of Mount Hope
Mount Hope, seized from the Pokanoket in 1676, undergoes a centuries-long journey of colonial ownership and eventual partial restoration to Indigenous stewardship.
We Were Never Wampanoag: Erasing Pokanoket
Discover how the "Wampanoag" name erases the true identity of the Pokanoket people, who welcomed the Pilgrims. Uncover the untold history of a powerful confederation deliberately obscured by colonial forces.
Pokanoket Refugees Flee To Wabanaki Lands After King Philip’s War
At the conclusion of King Philip's War, surviving Pokanokets faced enslavement or worse at the hands of the victorious English colonist, but many found refuge and continued their resistance among northern kin in New England.
The Suspicious Death of Wamsutta: Prelude to War
Uncover the mysterious death of Wamsutta, a pivotal moment that shattered Indigenous-colonial relations. Learn how this event, shrouded in suspicion, ignited the flames of King Philip's War.
The Conflict the English Provoked: King Philip’s War
Explore King Philip's War, a brutal conflict that reshaped New England. Discover how this clash between the Pokanoket and English colonists irrevocably altered Indigenous sovereignty and land.
Beyond Recognition: The Pokanoket Land Return and the Power of Survivance
A historic land return to the unrecognized Pokanoket Tribe challenges conventional ideas of justice and recognition. Discover how this act affirms the enduring power of Indigenous identity and "survivance" against centuries of erasure.
The Origins of Names: Pokanoket or Wampanoag?
Discover the history of Indigenous peoples, the original inhabitants of what is now the United States, has been misrepresented and distorted through colonial narratives.
Sowams: The Sacred Center of the Pokanoket World
Uncover the true significance of Sowams, not just as a historical settlement, but as the enduring heart of the powerful Pokanoket Confederacy. Learn how modern acts of reclamation are restoring justice and reaffirming the sovereign identity of the Pokanoket Tribe.
Ancestral Fields: Pokanoket Agriculture, the Three Sisters, and Ecological Wisdom
Discover the sophisticated and sustainable agricultural practices of the Pokanoket people, from the "Three Sisters" to their lunar calendar. Learn how their ancestral wisdom offers powerful lessons for today's climate challenges.
The Wetu: Traditional Home of the Northeastern Algonquian Peoples
This article explores the history, design, and cultural significance of the Indigenous wetu, the traditional dome-shaped home used by many Northeastern Indigenous communities including the Pokanoket. Drawing on historical accounts, Indigenous scholarship, and environmental perspectives, the piece highlights how the wetu reflected sustainable living, seasonal stewardship, and a deep spiritual relationship with the natural world.
Massasoit Ousamequin & The Pokanoket Confederation: A Sovereign Indigenous Power
Discover Massasoit Ousamequin, not just a chief, but the leader of the powerful Pokanoket Confederation, a sovereign Indigenous nation that shaped early New England. Uncover how this sophisticated alliance thrived through diplomacy and kinship, challenging colonial narratives of submission.