Massasoit

Hello, my name is Ousamequin, but many people know me by my title, Massasoit. This name means 'Great Leader.' I was a sachem, which is a leader of the Wampanoag people. Our home was a beautiful land with forests and rivers in a place now called Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Before the year 1620, a great sickness came to our villages, and we sadly lost many of our people. This made us worried. We were also concerned about our enemies, the Narragansett tribe, so we were very cautious when new people came to our land.

In the year 1620, a big ship called the Mayflower arrived, bringing people from England to our shores. We watched them from far away at first. When spring came, I decided it was time to meet them. On March 22nd, 1621, I walked into their new village, which they called Plymouth, with some of my warriors. It was important that we could talk to each other. A man from another tribe named Samoset and one of my own people, Tisquantum, who was also called Squanto, helped us understand each other's words. I met with their leader, Governor John Carver. We made an important promise called a peace treaty. We promised we would not hurt each other and that we would help each other if we were ever in trouble.

Later that year, in the fall of 1621, the English settlers had a wonderful harvest with lots of food. They were very thankful and decided to have a big feast to celebrate. To show our friendship, I went to their celebration with ninety of my men. We did not come empty-handed. We brought five deer to share with everyone. For three whole days, we ate delicious food and played games together. This special feast is something people still remember today. For the rest of my life, which was more than forty years, our peoples lived together side-by-side in peace.

I lived a long life and was about 80 years old when I passed away around the year 1661. I am remembered as a leader who chose to be a friend during a time of big changes. My peace treaty with the Plymouth Colony helped the newcomers survive their first years, and it created a long time of peace between our peoples that lasted for my whole lifetime. My story reminds everyone that understanding and kindness can build bridges between different worlds.