Chickatawbut (died 1633; also known as Cicatabut and possibly as Oktabiest before 1622) was the

sachem Sachems and sagamores are paramount chiefs among the Algonquians or other Native American tribes of northeastern North America, including the Iroquois. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms (c. 1622) from different Eastern Al ...

, or leader, of a large group of indigenous people known as the

Massachusett The Massachusett were a Native American tribe from the region in and around present-day Greater Boston in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name comes from the Massachusett language term for "At the Great Hill," referring to the Blue Hills ...

tribe in what is now eastern

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, during the initial period of

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

settlement in the region in the early seventeenth century. Chickatawbut's home base was Conihasset, near modern Scituate. The sachem's name had many variant spellings in early Massachusetts records. Some argue that he had an alternate name, Oktabiest His brother was Wassapinewat. Chickatawbut maintained a base at a small hill known as

Moswetuset Hummock Moswetuset Hummock is a Native American site and the original name of the tribe (Mosetuset) in the region named Massachusetts after them. The wooded hummock in Squantum, Massachusetts, is formally recognized as historic by descendants of the Ponk ...

, located on

Quincy Bay Quincy Bay is the largest of the three small bays of southern Boston Harbor, part of Massachusetts Bay and forming much of the shoreline of the city of Quincy, Massachusetts. Locally in the Wollaston neighborhood of Quincy it is known as Wollasto ...

Boston Harbor Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeastern United States. History ...

. In 1621 he was met there by

Plymouth Colony Plymouth Colony (sometimes Plimouth) was, from 1620 to 1691, the first permanent English colony in New England and the second permanent English colony in North America, after the Jamestown Colony. It was first settled by the passengers on the ...

commander Myles Standish and Tisquantum, a Patuxet guide. According to colonist Thomas Morton, "Chickatawbut’s mother was buried at Passonagessit, and that the Plymouth people, on one of their visits, incurred his enmity by despoiling her grave of its bear skins." Chickatawbut did not get caught by Standish and his forces, although his warrior,

Pecksuot Pecksuot (died c. 1623) was a warrior of a Massachusett tribe led by Chickatawbut in the early 17th century until his death c. 1623. He was killed by Myles Standish either in 1624 in the battle at Wessagusset Colony (citation irretrievable) as immor ...

, was killed in the hostilities at the

Wessagusset Colony Wessagusset Colony (sometimes called the Weston Colony or Weymouth Colony) was a short-lived English trading colony in New England located in Weymouth, Massachusetts. It was settled in August 1622 by between fifty and sixty colonists who were ill-p ...

in 1623/24. Chickatawbut died of

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

in 1633 and was succeeded as sachem by his brother,

Cutshamekin Cutshamekin (died in 1654) (also spelled Kitchamakin, Kuchamakin, or Cutshumaquin) was a Native American leader, who was a sachem of the Massachusett tribe based along the Neponset River and Great Blue Hill in what is now Dorchester, Massachuse ...

. He was succeeded around 1655 by Chickatawbut's son,

Wompatuck Wompatuck (ca. 1627 - 1669), also spelled Wampatuck, was sachem, or paramount chief, of the Mattakeesett band of Massachusett Indians. Names Wompatuck was also known as Wampatuck, Josias Wampatuck, and Josiah Sagamore. ''Wampatuck'' translates ...

. As a leader of the Mattakeesett tribe, he became a friend of the English settlers. In 1650, five Massachusett Indians testified to the tribal bounds over which Chickatawbut had reigned:

Pecunke, Ahivmpum, Catscimah, Webacowett, and Masbanomett doe all afferme, that Chickatawbutt his bounds did extend from Nishamagoquanett, near Duxbery mill ear present-day Cow Tent Hill Preserve off Tremont Street in Duxbury to Teghtacutt, neare Taunton iticut and to Nunckatatesett, and from thence in a straight linne to Wanamampuke, which is the head of Charles Riuer ; this they doe all solomly afferme, saing, God knoweth it to bee true, and knoweth theire harts. Dated the first of the fourth month, 1650. Wittnes : Encrease Nowell, John Eliot, John Hoare.

Legacy and honors

In early

1684 Events January–March * January 5 – King Charles II of England gives the title Duke of St Albans to Charles Beauclerk, his illegitimate son by Nell Gwyn. * January 15 (January 5 O.S.) - To demonstrate that the River Thames, froz ...

the city fathers of Boston sought to secure legal ownership of the

Shawmut Peninsula Shawmut Peninsula is the promontory of land on which Boston, Massachusetts was built. The peninsula, originally a mere in area,Miller, Bradford A., "Digging up Boston: The Big Dig Builds on Centuries of Geological Engineering", GeoTimes, Octo ...

from the descendents of Chickatawbut, the

at the time

William Blaxton Reverend William Blaxton (also spelled William Blackstone) (1595 – 26 May 1675) was an early English settler in New England and the first European settler of Boston and Rhode Island. Biography William Blaxton was born in Horncastle, Lincoln ...

first settled on the peninsula, fifty years prior. Such a descendent was located, a sachem named Josias Wampatuck. There is little evidence that this sachem, his grandfather Chickatawbut or any of their people ever inhabited the peninsula, however the lack of formal legal documents involving indians during the Blaxton sale encouraged the creation of a backdated deed (termed a "

quitclaim Generally, a quitclaim is a formal renunciation of a legal claim against some other person, or of a right to land. A person who quitclaims renounces or relinquishes a claim to some legal right, or transfers a legal interest in land. Originally a c ...

") which Josias signed on 19 March 1684 (see document at right, an
its transcription
.OBJECT OF THE MONTH OBJECT OF THE MONTH ARCHIVE ABOUT Indian deed for Boston, March 19, 1685
masshist.org. September 1, 2006. Chickatawbut Road, one of the Blue Hills Reservation Parkways, and Chickatawbut Hill, at the highest point in Quincy, Massachusetts, are named for this sachem.

References

Native Americans connected with Plymouth Colony Native American people from Massachusetts Native American leaders 17th-century Native Americans Massachusett people Native American history of Massachusetts 1633 deaths Year of birth unknown {{NorthAm-native-bio-stub