Wampanoag Tribes

Tribal Headquarters
Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Aquinnah 20 Black Brook Road Aquinnah, MA 02535-1546 Phone: 508-645-9265 Website

History
Original homelands: northern Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts, and offshore islands

Linquistic: Algonquian

Leaders: Massasoit, Mashpee,

Brief Timeline
1621: Massasoit befriends the Pilgrims.

1676: King Philip's War; many Indians sent to Deer Island and some were sold as slaves in the West Indies.

1700s: Many placed on reservations called "plantations" (Gay Head on Martha's Vineyard and Mashpee on Cape Cod)

1833-1835: Mashpee Revolt initiates self-government for Native Americans

Additional References to the History of the Tribe
Frederick Webb Hodge, in his Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico, gave a more complete history of the Wampanoag tribe, with estimations of the population of the tribe at various time periods.

Records
The majority of records of individuals were those created by the agencies. Some records may be available to tribal members through the tribal headquarters.They were (and are) the local office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and were charged with maintaining records of the activities of those under their responsibility. Among these records are:
 * 1861 Massachusetts: Earle Report of Native Americans, 1861 American Ancestors - index & images, ($)


 * Allotment records
 * Annuity rolls
 * Census records
 * Correspondence
 * Health records
 * Reports
 * School census and records
 * Vital records

Important Websites

 * Constitution of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, adopted 1990 and amended 1994 and 1995
 * Wampanoag History from Hodge's Handbook of American Indians...
 * Wampanoag History website by Lee Sultzman
 * Wampanoag Language, History, and Culture
 * Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head official website
 * Wampanoag - Plimoth Plantation home site
 * Wikipedia article on Wampanoag Indians
 * Wampanoag Wikipedia