Nipmuck emblem

The Nipmuck are an aboriginal North American people, belonging to the family of Algonquian peoples, currently living in and around the Chaubunagungamaug Reservation of Webster, Massachusetts. There are over 600 members officially recognized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, but federal status by the Bureau of Indian Affairs is still pending. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Indigenous peoples are: Peoples living in an area prior to colonization by a state Peoples living in an area within a nation-state, prior to the formation of a nation-state, but who do not identify with the dominant nation. ... Political highlights of North America North America is the third largest continent in area and the fourth ranked in population. ... Algonquian Indians are one of the most populous and widespread North American Native groups, with tribes originally numbering in the hundreds, and hundreds of thousands who still identify with various Algonquian peoples. ... Webster is a town located in Worcester County, Massachusetts. ... State nickname: Bay State Other U.S. States Capital Boston Largest city Boston Governor Mitt Romney (R) Official languages English Area 27,360 km² (44th)  - Land 20,317 km²  - Water 7,043 km² (25. ... The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) responsibility is the administration and management of 55. ...

History

Prehistory

Coming from the southwest, Paleo Indians settled New England over 10,000 years ago, hunting the animals that inhabited the sub-arctic environment. During the Archaic Period (8000 BCE–1000 BCE) the climate slowly warmed, bringing new plants and animals, which also brought about changes in human culture and lifestyle. During this period, the Nipmuck were producing stone bowls, making bark, woven and wooden containers, and developed a written language, which remained in use until the historic period. Pesu-poncks (ceremonial stone sweat lodges) were used for purification rituals and many of these ancient chambers can still be found near the sites of Nipmuck villages. Nipmuck homes were framed of deciduous saplings covered with skins, bark and woven mats. The Southwestern United States The Southwest region of the United States is drier in weather than the adjoining Southern United States and U.S. West; the population is less dense and, with moderate Mexican and American Indian components, more ethnically varied than neighboring areas. ... Paleo-Indians is an English term used to refer to the ancient peoples of America who were present at the end of the last Ice Age. ... Modern New England, the six northeastern-most states of the United States, indicated by red The New England region of the United States is located in the northeastern corner of the country. ... Early Archaic (8000 BC to 6000 BC) The Early Archaic period was defined on the basis of chipped stone projectile point technology and styles. ... Deciduous means temporary or tending to fall off (deriving from the Latin word decidere, to fall off). ...

During the Woodland Period (1000 BCE–1000 CE), Chaubunagungamaug territory was at the hub of several ancient paths to all parts of the northeast, and trade with other peoples brought the "three sisters" (maize, beans, and squash), encouraging an agricultural based society. The bow and arrow supplemented the use of spears in their hunting and defense. The Woodland period in southeastern North America lasted roughly from 1000 BCE to 1000 CE. The term Woodland was coined in the 1930s and refers to to prehistoric sites between the Archaic period and the Mississippian cultures. ... The Three Sisters are three volcanic peaks of the Cascade Range, located near the town of Sisters, Oregon. ... Binomial name Zea mays L. Maize (Zea mays ssp. ... Green beans Bean is a common name for large plant seeds of several genera of Fabaceae (formerly Leguminosae) used for food or feed. ... Species - hubbard squash, buttercup squash - cushaw squash - butternut squash - most pumpkins, acorn squash, summer squash References: ITIS 22365 2002-11-06 Hortus Third Squashes are four species of the genus Cucurbita, also called pumpkins and marrows depending on variety or the nationality of the speaker. ... A bow is a weapon that shoots arrows powered by the elasticity of the bow and/or the string. ... A spear is an ancient weapon, used for hunting and war. ...

Colonial Times

As early as 1630 there is a record of a Nipmuck known as Acquittamaug walking to Boston with his elderly father, each carrying a bushel and a half of corn from Woodstock, Connecticut to the starving settlers. However, just a few years later the colonists were offering bounties on the scalps of Nipmuck men, women and children. During King Phillip's War large numbers of Nipmuck fought and died in an effort to preserve their homeland and culture. Without exception, Nipmuck sachems (chiefs) of virtually every clan were either shot or hanged before the end of the war. Despite this, the Nipmuck survived. Events February 22 - Native American Quadequine introduces Popcorn to English colonists. ... City nickname: Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe), Athens of America Location of Boston within Suffolk County, Massachusetts. ... A bushel is a unit of volume, used (with somewhat different definitions) in the systems of Imperial units and U.S. customary units. ... Woodstock is a town located in Windham County, Connecticut. ... King Philips War was a general Indian uprising in 1675-1676 to resist continued expansion of the English colonies in New England. ...

External Links

• Nipmuck Tribal Web Site