Iyannough (also Iyanough) was an American Indian

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 ...

and leader of the Mattachiest ( Mattakeese, a sub-group of the

Wampanoag people The Wampanoag , also rendered Wôpanâak, are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands based in southeastern Massachusetts and historically parts of eastern Rhode Island,Salwen, "Indians of Southern New England and Long Island," p. 17 ...

) tribe of Cummaquid in the area of what is now Barnstable,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. The village of Hyannis, the Wianno section of Osterville, and Iyanough Road ( Route 132) are all named after him.

Life

Historic records mention the assistance and entertainment offered by him and his tribe towards the Pilgrims and later colonists. When the son of

Mayflower ''Mayflower'' was an English ship that transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620. After a grueling 10 weeks at sea, ''Mayflower'', with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, r ...

passenger

John Billington John Billington (also spelled as Billinton) (c. 1580September 30, 1630) was an Englishman who travelled to the New World on the ''Mayflower'' and was one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact. In England Nothing is known about John Billingt ...

wandered away from the new settlement at Plymouth in January 1621, Iyannough assisted William Bradford and his party in finding the boy. The sachem impressed the Pilgrims as being personable, gentle, courteous, and fair-conditioned. He died in 1623 when he was only in his mid-twenties. Following a surprise attack by the Pilgrims on 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 that winter, many Indians in the region including Iyannough grew fearful of the colonists and fled to hide in the area's swamps and remote islands. It is believed that Iyannough himself died of exposure during this time. Upon his early death, his lands went to his eldest son Yanno (aka John Hyanno).

Legacy

Yanno is mentioned in several land deeds on

Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...

and

Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the Northeastern United States, located south of Cape Cod in Dukes County, Massachusetts, known for being a popular, affluent summer colony. Martha's Vineyard includes the s ...

and appears to have been a prominent figure in the early settlement of the communities. In the 20th century, Charles Libby was plowing his field and discovered what is believed to be Iyannough's grave. He discovered an underground tomb with baskets befitting a chief and upon contacting the historical society all contents were removed and a modern cement marker was placed at the site. He was told that public access to the site had to be maintained and a marker on 6A marks where a public trail should begin. Public access was maintained while Mr. Libby owned the property but is no longer accessible. "Guidebook Cape Cod ~ Barnstable" (page), ''GuidebookAmerica.com'', webpage: {{cite web , url=http://www.guidebookamerica.com/gb/ma/cape_cod/area_guides/barnstable.htm , title=Guidebook Cape Cod ~ Barnstable , accessdate=2007-04-08 , url-status=dead , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310200539/http://guidebookamerica.com/gb/ma/cape_cod/area_guides/barnstable.htm , archivedate=2007-03-10 The gravesite is just north of Route 6A in the Cummaquid section of Barnstable and is maintained by a non-profit organization called "Tales of Cape Cod." A sign along Route 6A marks the spot. A statue of Iyannough can be found today on the village green in downtown Hyannis.

References

External links

Notes on Iyannough
at Genealogy.com

Year of birth missing 1623 deaths Native American leaders Native American people of the Indian Wars 17th-century Native Americans Wampanoag people Native American people from Massachusetts

Life

Legacy

See also

References

External links