Squaw Sachem of Mistick (c. 1590-1650 or 1667) was a prominent leader of a

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 who deeded large tracts of land in eastern Massachusetts to early colonial settlers. Squaw Sachem was the widow of

Nanepashemet Nanepashemet (died 1619) was a sachem and ''bashabe'' or great leader of the Pawtucket Confederation of Abenaki peoples in present-day New England before the landing of the Pilgrims. He was a leader of Native peoples over a large part of what is ...

, 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 ...

of the Pawtucket Confederation of Indian tribes, who died in 1619. Her given name is unknown and she was known in official deeds as the "Squaw Sachem." Squaw Sachem ruled the Pawtucket Confederation lands aggressively and capably after Nanepashmet's death. Around 1635, along with several other Native Americans, she deeded land in

Concord, Massachusetts Concord () is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. At the 2020 census, the town population was 18,491. The United States Census Bureau considers Concord part of Greater Boston. The town center is near where the conflu ...

to colonists, and by that time she had remarried to a tribal priest, Wompachowet (also known as Webcowit or Webcowet).Shattuck, Lemuel
''History of the Town of Concord, Mass.''
(Boston, 1835) In 1639 she deeded the land of what was then

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

and

Watertown Watertown may refer to: Places in China In China, a water town is a type of ancient scenic town known for its waterways. Places in the United States *Watertown, Connecticut, a New England town **Watertown (CDP), Connecticut, the central village ...

to the colonists, an area that covers much of what is now the Greater Boston area, including

Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Newton'' (film), a 2017 Indian film * Newton ( ...

, Arlington,

Somerville Somerville may refer to: *Somerville College, Oxford, a constituent college of the University of Oxford Places *Somerville, Victoria, Australia * Somerville, Western Australia, a suburb of Kalgoorlie, Australia * Somerville, New Zealand, a subur ...

, Malden, and Charlestown. She lived her last years on the west side of the

Mystic Lakes The Mystic Lakes, consisting of Upper Mystic Lake and Lower Mystic Lake, are closely linked bodies of water in the northwestern suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. The lakes lie at an elevation of 1 meter above sea level, within the towns of Winch ...

near what is now

Medford, Massachusetts Medford is a city northwest of downtown Boston on the Mystic River in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the time of the 2020 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 59,659. It is home to Tufts University, which has its campus alo ...

, where she died sometime between 1650 and 1667. She is remembered on the

Boston Women's Heritage Trail The Boston Women's Heritage Trail is a series of walking tours in Boston, Massachusetts, leading past sites important to Boston women's history. The tours wind through several neighborhoods, including the Back Bay and Beacon Hill, commemorating w ...

. Her sons,

Wonohaquaham Wonohaquaham also known as Sagamore John was a Native American leader who was a Pawtucket Confederation Sachem when English began to settle in the area. Early life Wonohaquaham was the oldest son of Nanepashemet and the Squaw Sachem of Mistick. A ...

Montowampate Montowampate (1609–1633), was the Sachem of the Naumkeag or Pawtucket in the area of present day Saugus, Massachusetts at the time of the Puritan Great Migration. The colonists called him Sagamore James. He was one of three sons of Nanepasheme ...

, and

Wenepoykin Wenepoykin (1616–1684) also known as Winnepurkett, Sagamore George, George No Nose, and George Rumney Marsh was a Native American leader who was the Sachem of the Naumkeag people when English began to settle in the area. Early life Wenepoykin w ...

were tribal leaders as well. She is sometimes confused with other contemporary Squaw Sachems in the region, including

Awashonks Awashonks (also spelled Awashunckes, Awashunkes or Awasoncks) was a saunkskwa, a female sachem ( chief) of the Sakonnet (also spelled Saconet) tribe in Rhode Island. She lived near the southern edge of the Plymouth Colony on Patuxet homelands, not ...

and

Weetamoo Weetamoo (c. 1635–1676), also referred to as Weethao, Weetamoe, Wattimore, Namumpum, and Tatapanunum, was a Pocasset, Massachusetts, Pocasset Wampanoag people, Wampanoag Native Americans in the United States, Native American Chief. She was ...

Controversy

Using the Squaw Sachem of Mistick name or likeness has been protested by individuals of surrounding tribes as well as multiple social justice groups. There has been an ongoing battle (20+ years) to get rid of the use of the Sachem name and likeness as a mascot or logo in the surrounding towns. In 2020, the Sachem was removed as the mascot of the

Winchester, Massachusetts Winchester is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, located 8.2 miles (13.2 km) north of downtown Boston as part of the Greater Boston metropolitan area. It is also one of the List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income, wealt ...

public schools. Defenders of mascots often state their intention to honor Native Americans by referring to positive traits, such as fighting spirit and their being strong, brave, stoic, dedicated, and proud; opponents see these traits as being based upon stereotypes of Native Americans as savages.

References

{{reflist 1590s births 17th-century deaths 16th-century Native Americans 16th-century Native American women 17th-century Native Americans 17th-century Native American women Native American leaders Female Native American leaders Massachusett people Native American people from Massachusetts Native American history of Massachusetts People of colonial Massachusetts Pre-statehood history of Massachusetts