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 Punkapoag 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.