Narragansett (tribe)
The Narragansett tribe is an Indigenous nation located primarily in Rhode Island, with a rich history that spans over 20,000 years. Originally speaking an Algonquian language, the tribe was once a powerful force in southern New England, with estimates of their population reaching up to 16,000 members by 1600. The name "Narragansett" is commonly interpreted to mean "at the narrow point of land." The tribe was known for its agricultural practices, cultivating crops like corn, beans, and squash, and they lived in wigwams during the summer and longhouses in the winter.
The Narragansett engaged in complex social structures, with leadership provided by sachems and councilors, while spiritual healers known as powwows played a significant role in their culture. The tribe faced numerous challenges, including devastating plagues and conflicts with neighboring nations and colonial powers. King Philip's War in 1675 marked a significant turning point, leading to substantial losses and the tribe's eventual decline as a distinct entity.
Despite periods of assimilation and loss of traditional culture, the Narragansett have made a resurgence since the 20th century, regaining federal recognition as a sovereign nation in 1983. They now focus on cultural preservation, environmental sustainability, and community health initiatives, while holding annual events that strengthen their cultural identity and community ties. Today, the Narragansett Indian Reservation serves as a center for cultural gatherings and revitalization efforts.
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Narragansett (tribe)
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: Northeast
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Algonquian
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Rhode Island
- POPULATION SIZE: 2,400 (2024 Narragansett Indian Nation)
The Narragansett were once a powerful Indigenous nation of southern New England. They settled in the area more than 20,000 years ago. They spoke an Algonquian language, and their territory encompassed much of present-day Rhode Island. Contemporary estimates suggest there may have been as many as 16,000 Narragansett members in 1600. The word Narragansett is usually translated as “at the narrow point of land.”
Narragansett culture and lifeways were similar to those of other Indigenous nations in the region. They were adept at agriculture, regularly planting corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers. The diet was supplemented by hunting and trapping. The wigwam, a circular shelter of bent poles covered with bark, was the typical summer dwelling by the coast. In winter, the Narragansett families shared longhouses inland.
Sachems (chiefs) wielded authority in Narragansett society, aided by councilors, usually warriors of distinction. Powwows were also important healers with great spiritual powers. Other, smaller Indigenous nations offered tribute to the Narragansett in exchange for protection. The first White contact came with Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524, though permanent White settlement did not come until a century later.
In 1616–1617, a devastating plague (probably smallpox) decimated neighboring nations, but the Narragansett were spared. The Narragansett warred with their neighbors and dominated such nations as the Wampanoags. In 1633, the plague, long delayed, finally struck the Narragansett, killing at least 700.
White-Narragansett relations were cordial at first; Rhode Island founder Roger Williams championed Indigenous land rights. Though the Narragansett helped the English in the Pequot War of 1637, the colonists were suspicious of their allies; they were also hungry for more land.
When King Philip’s War broke out in 1675, the Narragansett maintained neutrality, though they sheltered Wampanoag women and children. When the English demanded the surrender of the Wampanoag fugitives, Narragansett sachem Canonchet refused. The English assembled the largest colonial army up to that time—a thousand men—and launched a surprise attack on the Narragansett. On December 19, 1675, the English assaulted a large Narragansett fort near present-day Kingston, Rhode Island. The resulting battle, called the Great Swamp Fight, was one of the bloodiest of the war. At least 600 Narragansett members were killed, and 300 were taken prisoner. Most of the Indigenous casualties were women and children.
King Philip’s War destroyed the Narragansett as a distinct Indigenous entity. Some survivors joined the Niantic, and in time, the combination was called Narragansett. A reservation was established in Rhode Island, and a council was instituted in place of the sachem. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, assimilation seemed the only alternative to extinction. The last full-blooded Narragansett died in the nineteenth century, and the language died out about that time as well.
In 1880, the Narragansett were acculturated, and their reservation was sold. Though the remaining people were of mixed Indigenous-White-Black ancestry, and the traditional culture was virtually dead, some measure of Narragansett identity survived. During the 1880s and 1890s, the Narragansett repeatedly, and unsuccessfully, pursued land claims to recover their lost territory. Beginning in the 1920s, pan-Indianism caused the embers of the Narragansett heritage to flare again.
The culture was revived, and activists such as Ella Thomas Sekatau and Eric Thomas Sekatau managed to secure federal recognition of the Narragansett as a sovereign nation in 1983. In 1978, as part of the Rhode Island Indian Claims settlement, the state gave the Narragansett 1,800 acres of wooded public and private land that was once part of Indigenous territory. The Narragansett use the Narragansett Indian Reservation to hold cultural events such as an annual August meeting and powwow. The two-day festivities bring the Narragansett members closer together. In addition to cultural preservation, the Narragansett have programs aimed at environmental sustainability, economic development, and community health initiatives.
Bibliography
"Early History." Narragansett Indian Tribe, narragansettindiannation.org/history/early. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Fisher, Julie A., and David J. Silverman. Ninigret, Sachem of the Niantics and Narrangansetts: Diplomacy, War, and the Balance of Power in Seventeenth-Century New England and Indian Country. Cornell UP, 2017.
Herndon, Ruth Wallis, and Ella Wilcox Sekatau. "The Right to a Name: The Narragansett People and Rhode Island Officials in the Revolutionary Era." Ethnohistory, vol. 44, no. 3, 1997, pp. 433–62. doi.org/10.2307/483031. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.
Spears, Lorén. "Narragansett History." EnCompass: A Digital Sourcebook of Rhode Island History, encompass.rihs.org/narragansett-history/narragansett-history/. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
"Native Languages of the Americas: Narragansett (Nipmuc)." Native Languages of the Americas, www.native-languages.org/narragansett.htm. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
"Perseverance." Narragansett Indian Tribe, narragansettindiannation.org/history/perseverance. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Reed, Duane. "A Walk on Narragansett Land. Exploring How Native American Heritage Centers the Original Amer'ican Holiday Season." Ark Republic, 25 Nov. 2023, www.arkrepublic.com/2023/11/25/a-walk-on-narragansett-land-exploring-how-native-american-heritage-centers-the-original-american-holiday-season. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Simmons, William Scranton. The Narragansett. Chelsea House, 2014.