Rhode Island Indian Tribes
Narraganset. Their name
means "people of the small point."
Connections. The Narraganset belonged to the
Algonquian linguistic family and spoke an n-dialect like the neighboring
Massachuset,
Wampanoag, and probably
the Niantic (East and West) and the Nauset.
Location. The Narraganset occupied the greater
part of Rhode Island West of Narragansett Bay, between Providence and
Pawcatuck Rivers. At one time they dominated the Coweset (see Nipmuc)
north of them and the Eastern Niantic, and they drove the Wampanoag from
the island which gives its name to the State of Rhode Island and the
Pequot from some territory they held in the west. (See also
Massachusetts and
Connecticut.)
Subdivisions
There are said to have been eight
chiefs over as many territorial divisions, all under one head chief.
Villages
Chaubatick, Probably within a few miles of Providence.
Maushapogue, in Providence County.
Mittaubscut, on Pawtuxet River, 7 or 8 miles above its mouth.
Narraganset, above the site of Kingston.
Pawchauquet, in western Rhode Island.
Shawomet, near Warwick.
History. The Narraganset traced their
origin to the Southwest. They escaped the great pestilence of 1617 and
were in fact increased in numbers by bands of refugees. In 1633 the
Narraganset lost 700 in a smallpox epidemic. In 1636 Roger Williams
settled among them and through their favor was enabled to lay the
foundations of the present State of Rhode island. They remained on good
terms with the Whites Until King Philip's war (1675-76), into which they
threw their whole strength. In the celebrataed swamp fiaght at
Kingston they lost nearly 1,000 killed and captured, and the remnant
of the tribe were soon forced to abandon the country. Some probably and
joined the Mahican and Abnaki or even got as far as Canada and never
returned to their own people, but others obtained permission to come back
and were settled among the Eastern Niantic who had taken no part in the
contest. From that time on the combined tribes were known as Narraganset.
In 1788 many of these united it with the Brotherton Indians in New York,
and a few have gone Mohegan in Connecticut. The remainder are near
Charlestown, R. I.
Population. The
Narraganset are estimated by Mooney (1928) to
have numbered 4,000 in 1600, including the Eastern Niantic, they perhaps
as numerous in 1675. Along with the Eastern Niantic they had a total
population of about 140 in 1812, an h80 in 1832 , while the
census of 1910 returned 16. The same year, however, 284 Indians all told
were returned from Rhode Island, and 1930, 130.
Connection in which they have become noted. The
Narragansett were famed as the most powerful tribe of southern New England
and became and noted also on account of Roger Williams' dealing with them
and report regarding them. Narragansett Bay, the Town of Narragansett in
Washington County, and Narragansett Pier, the well-known summer resort,
were named after them.
Niantic, Eastern. The word Niantic signifies,
according to Trumbull (1818) "at a point of land on a (tidal) river or
estuary. arts of
Connections.-The
Eastern and the Western Niantic were parts of one original tribe split in
two perhaps by the Pequot; the nearest relatives of both were
probably the Narraganset.
Location.-The western
coast of Rhode Island and neighboring coast of Connecticut.
Village
Wekapaug, on the great pond near Charlestown.
History.As has just been stated, the Eastern
Niantic were closely connected with the Narraganset, but they refused to
join them in King Philip's war and at its close the remnants of the
Narraganset were settled among them. Their subsequent history has been
given under Narraganset.
Population. (See
Narraganset.)
Connection in which they have
become noted.-Niantic, in the town of Westerly, Washington County, R.
I., perpetuates the name. (See Niantic, Western, under
Connecticut.)
Nipmuc. The Coweset and some other bands of Nipmuc extended into
the northwestern part of the State but most of these were under the
domination of the Narraganset. (See Massachusetts.)
Pequot. The Pequot originally occupied some lands in the western
part of Rhode Island of which the Narraganset dispossessed them. (See
Connecticut.)
Wampanoag. The Wampanoag occupied the mainland sections of Rhode
Island east of Narragansett Bay and Providence River. At one period they
also held the island which gives this State its name but they were driven
from it by the Narraganset. (See Massachusetts.)
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