Pokanoket

The Pokanoket tribe was the headship tribe of the many tribes that make up the Wampanoag Nation, which was at times referred to as the Pokanoket Nation or the Pokanoket Confederacy or known as the Pokanoket Country. Each tribe of the Wampanoag Nation was composed of bands and villages. The Pokanoket tribe is best known for the "first Thanksgiving" with the Pilgrims.

History

The political seat of the many bands that are collectively known as the Wampanoag Nation was located in the realm of Pokanoket, where one of the most significant historic sites is found on Mount Hope (Potumtuk - The lookout of Pokanoket). At the time of the pilgrims’ arrival in Plymouth the realm of Pokanoket included parts of Rhode Island and much of Southeastern Massachusetts. Pokanoket social organization developed in a manner that differed from neighboring groups, since Pokanoket was more socially striated and politically complex. Archaeological excavations of Pokanoket burial sites indicate that wealth, such as wampum, was concentrated among a few individuals. European historic accounts of Pokanoket social life noted the political authority of the Massasoit (Great Leader). Unique to the Pokanoket was the spiritual and military elite known as the pniese (Pine E' See) who protected and served this Great Leader.