Their Marks

There are some moments in the archive that stick with you. For me, one such moment was seeing this 1668 deed for “Secunk” — a place now called Rehoboth, Massachusetts — in the stacks of the John Carter Brown Library my first week working there.

On the page was a signature line reading: “The marke of phillip Sachem,” and between those words, the bold pictographic mark chosen by Metacom (called “King Philip” by the English). I had read so much about Metacom, but had never before seen a stroke of pen on paper, chosen by him to represent himself.

Seeing that mark collapsed so much historical distance. These marks were not about myths, symbols, or abstractions, but human beings with relationships, responsibilities, griefs, humor, strategies, families, and dreams. Ancestors who lived and loved on these lands for millennia before the United States existed — and whose descendants are still here.

That moment became one of the sparks for Their Marks. It sent me searching for the lives, circumstances, and pictographs of Northeastern Native ancestors so often flattened, erased, trivialized, or rendered invisible within dominant historical narratives. Narratives that celebrate “American exceptionalism” while treating so many Native people as footnotes to someone else’s story.

I’ve come to think of them not only as evidence of Native presence, but as assertions of belonging. As forms of memory. As refusals. As calls across generations. If, for so many years, academia had known how (or been willing) to truly read these marks, perhaps the histories told about this place would have looked very different.

Every pictograph represents a person who understood themselves as part of a world shaped by land, kinship, language, diplomacy, innovation, spirituality, and responsibility. A person whose experiences were - and are - worthy of recording and remembering. A person whose descendants still carry those histories forward.

Their Marks, for me, has always been about calling ancestors back to us. About looking beyond colonial handwriting and legal language to the human beings who put hand to paper. About imagining fuller stories for them than the archive often allows. Stories tied not only to dispossession, but to endurance, creativity, governance, survivance, and dreams for the future.

The mark of Wussaumauóus

Nipmuc. Perhaps of Wabbaquasset, Chaubunagungamog or Magunkaquog.

This document is signed by Wussaumauóus, Uppehchihtuk, Wuttasacomponom, Job Kattenanit and others, reports to be submitted on behalf of “peoples of Nipmuck…the inhabitants of Quánutusset, Mônuhčhogok, Chaubunakongkomuk, Asukodnôcog, Kesépusqus, wabuhqushish and the adjacent parts of Nipmuk…” It pledges the submission of inhabitants of praying towns to the government of Massachusetts. It’s signed in 1668, a little less than a decade before the War would begin.

The mark of Chickwallop alias Wawhillowa

Sachem at Nonotuck - an area of homelands that includes the settlements called Northampton, Amherst, Hadley, and Hatfield, Massachusetts.

The deed for the area details landscape features and original place names for land on the “west side of Quinetticott River beginninge from ye small river below Minhan called Saukwonk” and up the Connecticut river to a meadow called Capawonk to a brook called Masquomp.

The land transaction reports to cover lands along the river known by these names: Minhan Pochuack, Petowwag, Aspowunck, Luckommuck, Assattayyagg, Nayyagg, Nayumkegg, Masquomp.

The land is transferred “in consideration of One Hundred fathom of wampam … & ten Coates (besides some small gifts).” In exchange for the land, John Pynchon would also plow 16 acres of land on the east side of the River the following summer, but, as the deed stipulates, in the meantime “the Indians” could plant their corn fields that spring and then “ they are wholly to leave that west side of the River & not to plant or molest the English there…” So that Pynchon and his family “shall have & injoy absolutely & clerely for ever from all incumbrances of any Indians or their come feilds.”

Place names spelled as they appear in the document.

Signed September 24, 1653. Hampden County Registry of Deeds.

Nompweenucoat his marke

Wampanoag, presumably of Sakonnet. Nompweenucoat’s homelands in the southeastern part of so-called Rhode Island; in and around the place now called “Little Compton.” Nompwoonucoat's mark appears among a host of co-signers to a deed transacted and also signed by Wampanoag sachem Awashonks, for “Sacconnott and the parts adjacent.”

The marke of Squamauge

Squamauge’s homelands perhaps at Matttapan and Mattakeset, or the places in and around the so-called Dorchester and Quincy Massachusetts.

Their mark appears alongside Josiah Chickatabut (or Wampatuck) on this written appeal to the town of Dorchester to provide “...a deed of gift, of that six thousand acres at punkopauog [sic] which the town gave to the Indians.” This earlier “gift” of land given by Dorchester settlers had established the praying town at Ponkapoag in 1657.

We can infer that Josiah Chickatabut and Squamauge never received a response to their request.

Nonnaunuka his marke

Likely Pennacook, of the Wabanaki Confederacy. Their homelands in the southern-most portions of so-called New Hampshire and Maine, and northern borderof so-called Massachusetts. We’ve also seen this name spelled as Nonnaunuska.

Nonnaunuka’s mark appears here, among many others’, on a petition that captures the testimony of several Native leaders, including Tahanto, relative to the distribution of vast quantities of liquor by English truck house operators to Native people in the area of Pennacook. The distribution and consumption of liquor by all parties at and around the truck house resulted in the death of a settler and later execution of a Pennacook man.

Mathew Wampe Indian

Mathew Wampe’s mark appears as witness to a deed transacted by Josiah Wampatuck and George Wampe. We’ve seen it also transcribed or spelled as Mathias Wampe or Mathe Wampe.

The deed describes “...a tract of land containing three miles + a halfe mile square…lying and being between two rivers in the Nipmug Country…and knowne…by the name Tohkecommumwachcuck.” The land is exchanged for “great good will and respect, …and many curtesies time to time heretofore rece’d" to two white settlers in the area.

James Rumnimarsh his mark

Nipmuc. Also known as Muminquash and as James Quannapohkit. A Christian Indian living at Natick who sided with the English during King Philip’s War, yet was still interred at Deer Island through the winter of 1675/6. James Rumnimarsh (aka Quannapohkit)’s mark appears here on a land transaction dated May 31, 1699. James Achoogik and more than a dozen other Christian Indian signers are agreeing to sell 200 acres of their plantation in Natick to fund repairs to their meetinghouse. They write: “…wee are now greatly deminished & impovereshed our meeting house where wee were wont constantly to meet …has fallen downe and we are not able to build us another…”

The meetinghouse was repaired, but no longer stands in Natick.

James Quannapohkit’s kin: Father Awassamug; Mother, Yawata, daughter of the Sonksqua of Mistick; A brother, Thomas Quannapohkit; Wife, Mary Ponham.

Tapporneck his mark

Possibly Schaghticoke or Munsee, Tapporneck’s homelands identified in this document as at and around a place called Wepack or “Long Pond” where the colonial borders of southwestern Connecticut and eastern New York now meet.

We’ve seen Tapporneck’s name spelled also as Tapornick, Tappornik, Topornick, Tawpornick, and Taporneck, and it appears here on a deed to proprietors in western parts of so-called Ridgefield, Connecticut which later become part of so-called New York. The land was recorded by the proprietors as transferred “in consideration of a valuable reward paid or secured to be paid by ye proprietors…” No amount for the “valuable reward” is specified.

We welcome suggestions for additional resources or information to help further identify this historical figure and their tribal affiliation.

Signed March 7, 1729. Seen at the Newberry Library.

The mark of Pâpaumwoit

Nipmuc. Perhaps of Wabbaquasset, Chaubunagungamog or Magunkaquog. Again, we’ve yet uncovered little-to-no additional information about Pâpaumwoit to be able to further contextualize their life. If you know more, feel free to share in the comments!

This document, signed by Pâpaumwoit and several other Nipmucs, including Uppehchihtuk, Wuttasacomponom, Job Kattenanit and others, reports to be submitted on behalf of “peoples of Nipmuck…the inhabitants of Quánutusset, Mônuhčhogok, Chaubunakongkomuk, Asukodnôcog, Kesépusqus, wabuhqushish and the adjacent parts of Nipmuk…” It pledges the submission of inhabitants of praying towns to the government of Massachusetts. It’s signed in 1668, a little less than a decade before the War would begin.

Captain Jacob Turkey his mark

Possibly Munsee, Paugussett or Schaghticoke (if our readers have more information, please let us know in the comments!). Jacob Turkey’s homelands in so-called southwestern Connecticut. This document signed for lands at the place today called Ridgefield, Connecticut, bounded to the east by so-called Danbury and to the north by so-called New Fairfield.

Jacob’s kin: his mother, Betty, whose mark we shared in a previous post.

Posoonckcum his mark

Presumably at home in Wampanoag homelands, at Sakonnet, near Narragansett Bay and Patuxet, in and around the place known today as Little Compton, Rhode Island. Posoonckcum’s mark appears here with the mark of Awashonks (shared in an earlier post) on a 1674 deed for Sakonnet land.

This document details one of many interactions Awashonks and her council had with colonizers in the lead up to King Philip’s War. Between 1671 and 1675, settlers made multiple attempts at usurping Awashonks’ authority at Sakonnet and denying the sovereignty of Wampanoag people (and in particular, Wampanoag women) there.

the mark of Admon Lalanc

Nipmuc. At home in Hassananamesit (in and around present day Grafton, Massachusetts).

The mark of Admon Lalanc (also seen as Edmond Lalanc) appears here with other Nipmuc signers on an agreement to the sale of land between Hassanamesit and Magunkaquog. Magunkaquog is the place now occupied by towns lying between parts of Grafton and Natick, including Ashland and Westborough.

Nipmuc. In 1701 Mary Annocamug (also seen as Annoscamig) found her homeplace at Nashaway or Nashua, including and beyond the place that is now more commonly called “Lancaster, Massachusetts.” Mary’s mark appears on this document, dated 1701, for land exchanged for various small sums of money from multiple settlers.

Mary was perhaps kin to Anookamaug or Anogomog, once Sachem of Wombemesisecoc (areas now including “Palmer” and “Ware, Massachusetts), whose mark we shared previously from a document dated 1686 for those lands near Quaboag.

Mary’s mark appears on this document just below the Mark of George Tahanto (whose mark we have also shared previously). Signed June 26, 1701. A copy of the original, seen at the American Antiquarian Society.

Nossowano his mark.

Nipmuc. Nossowano’s (or Nassowanno’s) mark appears here on a land transaction concerning Towtaid, or the place more commonly known today as Leicester, Massachusetts. The land is transferred “in consideration of the sum of fiften pounds curant monye of Nuengland” for an area of land eight miles square. The deed includes the original names for several hills, called wekapekatounow, mossonachues and aspomstok, and the original name for a pond there, called paupokquomcok.

Perhaps this Nossowano is the same person as - or kin to - Lawrence Nassowano, signer of a deed for Wombemesisecock (approximately Palmer and Ware, Ma.) in December 1676.

the mark of Ammi Printer

Ami Printer (also spelled Ammi), Nipmuc. At home in Hassananamesit (present day Grafton, Massachusetts). Ami was a descendant of the Printer line, a surname given to Wawaus who was re-named James the Printer by colonizers, then James Printer; Wawaus being the first Native printer in Massachusetts. Wawaus’, or James Printer's relatives all later assumed this surname as well. It’s as-yet unclear what the direct family relationship between Ami and Wauwas was.

Ami Printer’s mark appears here, with other Nipmuc signers, on an agreement to the sale of land between Hassanamisco and Magunkaquog. Magunkaquog is the place now occupied by towns lying between Grafton and Natick, including Ashland and Westborough.

Ami’s kin: a partner, Sarah Thomas. A daughter, Hannah Printer.

Document is undated. Seen at the Massachusetts State Archives.

the marke of George Wampe

George Wampe, identified here as being “of Mattakeeis Indean Plantation,” added his pictograph to this exchange for “...a tract of land containing three miles + a halfe mile square…lying and being between two rivers in the Nipmug Country…and knowne…by the name Tohkecommumwachcuck.” The deed transacts the land for the low, low, price of “great good will and respect, …and many curtesies time to time heretofore rece’d" to two white settlers in the area.

George Wampe’s signature appears on the document alongside that of Josias Wampatuck (also known as Josias Chickatabut), and they are identified as transacting the deed with additional consent from “Andrew a Indian knowne by that English name & Pawmhoset another Indian cheife men of the place herein mentioned.” Presumably, the Andrew and Pawmhoset named in the document are Nipmuc Christian Indians, named to justify the transfer of land in Nipmuc country by Chickatabut and Wampe, whose tribal territories are located along and around the place commonly known today as “Cape Cod.” It's likely that Chickatabut and Wampe also maintained kinship ties to Andrew, Pawmhoset or other Nipmucs.

I’ve so far not been able to sort out where the place of Tohkecommumwachcuck is located.