Tribal Lands and Native Communities

Click  To View a Map of Tribal Communities in 1620

Click to View a Map of Tribal Areas in 1620

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Indian place-names were not proper-names as we think of them. Rather, they were significant descriptions of the localities which the names identified.

Through the years the spellings of the words were altered by those who did not speak the original language and were uniformed of the meanings of the words. As a result, nearly every geographical name has been mutilated or has suffered change.

The Indian language was a spoken language only, and had never been written down until the Europeans began to settle in New England. Certain gutturals and nasals in the language may have been unidentified through errors of the ear in those who transcribed the spoken words. In an era when spelling was of little consequence, many variations of the Indian words are found, and there is no one alive to correct the errors which undoubtedly occurred in recording the language. Therefore we are left with only an approximation of the language as it was actually spoken.

It is likely that many of the names which have come down to us in altered form will likely never be correctly translated. However, there are a few place-names which we can interpret with some certainty.

The affix -tuk on a word denotes a river whose waters are driven by winds, tides or waves. With the adjectival -missi , meaning “great,” it forms missi-tuk, or “great river.” [That name is now written Mystic, the “great river" of Boston Bay.]

On the western border of Pokanoket country is the river which was called the Paquetuck. This denotes the “Pequot River.”

With the names of Pawtucket and Pawtuxet, the composition is less obvious; but we have reliable Indian testimony that these names mean, respectively, “at the falls” and “at the little falls.” The adjectival pawt- or pauat- seems to be derived from a root meaning “to make a loud noise.”

The first settlers of Plymouth were informed by Samoset that the place which they had chosen for their plantation was called Patuxet-probably because of some little falls on Town Brook.

Following are a few examples of place-names which have their origin in the language of the New England Indians.

Achusnet- possibly a variation of the Indian words meaning “at the hill.”

Agawam- suggests “flat meadows.”

Aguspemokick (Gould Island)- meaning “short narrow falls.”

Amoskeag- “a fishing place for alewives”

Aquidneck- literally means “floating-mass-at” or simply “at the island.”

Aquinnah (Gay Head on Martha's Vineyeard)- “an island in the water.”

Capowak- “a place closed in by a bend.”

Chappaquiddik- from cheppiaquidne, “separated land.”

Chibacoweda (Patience Island)- meaning “separated by a passage.

Connecticut- from the word quinnitukut, meaning “on a long river.”

Conockonqut (Rose Island)- meaning “place at the long point.”

Massachusetts- mass-adchu-set = “great hill country.”

Mattapusit- “a sitting down place” indicating an end of portage where the canoe is landed.

Missituk (Mystic)- missi-tuk, “great river.”

Mushawn-meaning “he goes by boat.”

Namasket-namas-ket, “at the fish place.”

Nantusiunk (Goat Island)- means “narrow ford or strait.

Narragansett- means “at the small narrow point.”

Nashoba-from  nashaue  meaning a fishing place, possibly midway.

Nashon-“midway.”

Nashua-derived from the word meaning “the land between.”

Naumkeag- meaning “eel land.”

Patuxet-”at the little falls.”

Pemiquid- “at the place where the land slopes.”

Pocasset- means “where the stream widens.”

Pochet- from the word pohqui or pauke meaning “clear land.”

Pokanoket- means “place of cleared land.”

Quabaug- meaning “where water is.”

Quinnipiac- “long water place.”

Sachuest- “little hill at the outlet.”

Sakonnet Little Comptaon, RI)- “at the river's outlet or discharge.”

Shawmut- corrupted from nashauwamuk, meaning “he goes by boat.”

Seekonk- possibly from saukonk meaning “at the mouth of outlet.”

Titicut- from kehte-tuk-ut, “on the great river.”

Wannemetonomy- “good mountains (or hills) or “good lookout place.”

Wappewassick (Prudence Island)- meaning “at the narrow straits.”

Winnecowet- possibly “the place of good pine trees.”

Here is a list of groups within the Pokanoket Wampanoag Nation