We Are The Massachusett

We are The Massachusett, descendants of Chickataubut’s Band of Massachusett at Neponset. This is how against all odds we have survived as a people.

• Ritual Dance, drum, rattle, song and rites of passage all enable the present day Massachusett Tribe to transfer the knowledge of our Ancestors to succeeding generations.

 

• We have an oral tradition of storytelling, just as our ancestors did, that passes on the Massachusett World View of how the world works, our relationship with all of nature and why things are the way they are.

 

• There are ways of perceiving and doing things in our community that trace back thousands of years. There are Medicine Ways thousands of years old that we still practice today.

 

We thank our ancestors for keeping the traditions, for their foresight and the gifts they left to us.

Tabutne

Towns (Olanash) of the Indigenous Massachusett, 1620

 

 

• AGAWAM

 

• MAGAEHNAK (near Sudbury)

 

• MTTAPOIST (now Mattapoisit)

 

• SCITUATE

 

• NABNASSET (now Lowell)

 

• NAHANT

 

• TOTAUNT (now Boston)

 

• MASHAUWOMUK (place near bay to land the mishoons, later corrupted to Shawmut)

 

• WESSAGUSSET (Weymouth)

 

• MAGAEHNAK (near Sudbury)

 

• MISHAWUM (now Charlestown)

 

• NAHAPASSUMKECK (In the northern part of Plymouth County)

 

• NATICK (became praying village)

 

• NEPONSET (now Milton, Dorchester)

 

• NONANTUM (now Newton)

 

• PATUXENT (now Plymouth)

 

• POCAPAWMET (south shore of Massachusetts Bay

 

• PONKAPOAG (included Canton, Stoughton, Sharon, Dedham, Randolph. A vastly reduced area of Ponkapoag became a praying town in 1657)

 

• PAWTUKET (now Lynn)

 

• WESSAGUSSET (Weymouth)

 

• MOSWETUSET (Quincy)

 

• WIMMISIMMET (Chelsea)

 

• COWATE (at the falls of Charles River, became praying village)

 

• PEQUIMMIT (became a praying village in now Stoughton)

 

• AGAWAM

 

• CONOHASSETT (now Cohasset)

 

• SAYOGHAS (now Saugus)

 

• TITICUT (became praying town at now Bridgewater)

 

• MASSAWACHUSETT (a Sac’hem Seat at Great Blue Hill, now Canton)

 

• NANTASKET

 

• CONHESETT (now Bridgwater which included Brockton)

 

• WAMPATUCK

 

• ASSINIPPI

 

• COCHITUATE (near Wayland)

 

• MONPONSETT

 

• MISQUAMUT (by the now Charles River)

 

• MATTAKEESET (now Pembrook)

 

• WAMASIT (near now Tewksbury

 

• COCHICHEWICK (now Boxford)

 

• NABNASSET (now Lowell)

 

• WANASQUAM NEAR ANNISQUAM (Essex County)

 

• COCHITUATE (near Wayland)

 

• TOPEENT (on the north coast of Plymouth County)

 

• SAGOQUAS (south of Cohasset)

 

• SECCASAW (northern part of Plymouth County)

 

• MONPONSETT

 

• MASSAPOAG (now Sharon)

 

• COCHITUATE (now Wellesley)

 

• NASNOCOMACACK

 

• MONTOWAMPATE

 

• TOTHEET

 

• WARANOCK

 

• WANNAMANHUT

 

• SOUHEGAN

 

• NAUMKEAG

 

• WINNECOWET

 

MYSTIC

Magaehnak, (Magaehnak became a praying town)

Moswetuset is now called Quincy (Moswetuset Hummock, a summer seat of Chickataubut, is named as an Historic Indigenous Massachusett Settlement in Quincy)

 

Misquamut is by the Charles River, Boston, Massapoag is now called Sharon

Monponsett is still called Monponsett, Natick is still called Natick, (Natick became a praying town)

 

Neponsett is now called Milton/Dorchester, (Chief seat of Chickataubut, Massachusett Sac’hem over a vast territory ;from the area of Dorchester to the north, to Plymouth in the south and reaching as far south as the area now known as Worcester. Lesser Sac’hems throughout his territory paid him tribute).

Nonantum isnow called Newton, Nahapassumkeck is in the northern part of Plymouth County, Nasnocomacack ?, Natoscot is now called Hull, (Natoscot became a praying town) Nantasket is still called Nantasket , Nahant is still called Nahant, (off the coast of Lynn) Nabnasset is now called Lowell, Nanmkeag is now called Peabody

 

Passanegesett is now Quincy, (Passanegesett is recognized as an Historic Indigenous

Massachusett Settlement in Quincy). The vast Massachusett Planting Fields were located between the Moswetuset and Passanegesett settlements.

 

Pequimmit is now called Stoughton, (Pequimmit became a praying town.)

 

Ponkapoag is now called Canton, Ponkapoag once included Canton and Cantons’ surrounding towns including Dedham. It was set apart for his people by Chickataubut before his death in 1633. It was named a praying town by the invading English in 1657 and reduced to 6,000 acres.

 

Pawtuxent is now called Plymouth, Where the pilgrims from Holland and the Adventure Company that financed them first landed and settled.

 

Pawtucket is now called Lynn, Seat of Nanapashamet, Massachusett Sac’hem over a vast territory from the Piscataqua River to the north (NH) all the way south to the now called Charles River, Boston. Lesser Sac’hems throughout his territory paid him tribute. His wife (unnamed) ruled after his death.

 

Pocapawmet is on the south shore of Massachusetts Bay, Sagogwas was south of Cohassett .

Saugus is still called Saugus, seat of Sac’hem Montowapate, son of Nanapashamet

Seccasaw is now Northern Plymouth County, Scituate is still called Scituate, Shawmut was located along the Charles River, Boston. Totant is now called Boston. Titicut is now located in Bridgewater (Titicut became a praying town). Wamasit was near Tewksbury . Wamamanhut became a praying town.

Wessagusset is now called Weymouth. It is the place where a massacre was accomplished against Massachusett war chiefs Wittuwamet, Peksuot and Paomet when they were lured along with other natives to Wessagussett by Miles Standish, ambushed and murdered.

 

Wimmisimet is now called Chelsea. Wimmisimet was the seat of another son of Nanapashamet, Sagamore James Wonohaquahain. Sagamore Wenepoykin a third son of Nanapashamet had his seat in what is now called Salem.

 

 

These settlement names and locations are a partial accounting of the

names and locations of the places inhabited by the Indigenous

Massachusett People. More research is underway.