We dove into these stories from New England Algonquian tribes of the Wampanoag and Narragansett peoples along with our study of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. According to Legends of America, the New England Algonquian tribes “include Mohegan, Pequot, Narragansett, Wampanoag, Massachusett, Nipmuc, Pennacook, Abenaki, Maliseet, and Passamaquoddy.” I will post books from the Algonquian tribes from Maine in a future post.
These first few books are unspecified Algonquian. Scroll down for books from the Wampanoag and Narragansett tribes.
The Rough Faced Girl, free to read online at archive.org
“In a village by the shores of Lake Ontario lived an invisible being. All the young women wanted to marry him because he was rich, powerful, and supposedly very handsome. But to marry the invisible being the women had to prove to his sister that they had seen him. And none had been able to get past the sister’s stern, all-knowing gaze.
“Then came the Rough-Face girl, scarred from working by the fire. Could she succeed where her beautiful, cruel sisters had failed?” (from Amazon)
Another version of this story is Little Firefly, which ends with information and photos introducing the Algonquian Nation.
An Algonquian Year, free to read online at archive.org
This is a rather wordy picture book that goes through all the seasons by naming the moons. The introduction states that the this book “concentrates on the daily life of Algonquian tribes found in the northeast of what is now Canada and the United States, tribes which included the Micma, the Abenaki, the Mahican, the Pequot, the Penobscot, and the Wampanoag.” We found the scratchboard illustrations particularly interesting to look at.
“Brings to life the seasonal cycles of work, play, and survival as experienced by the Northern Algonquians of pre-colonial America, from the icy cold of January’s Hard Times Moon through the fertile autumn harvest moons.” (from Amazon)
Turtle Island, free to read online at archive.org
This is a book of 27 short stories from the Algonquian nations. Specific tribal names are included with each story. There is a chapter at the end that describes each tribe in detail.
Wampanoag
This Thanksgiving story is a conversation between the spirits of the corn (Keepunumuk), beans, and squash. Fox watches how the Pilgrims flounder through their first year. The three sister spirits decide that the Wampanoag should help the Pilgrims, in keeping with their beliefs. The grandmother’s story ends with the “Many Americans call it a day of thanksgiving. Many of our people call it a day of mourning.” The book does not go into details for why this is, but it is a jumping-off point if parents wish to discuss further. The endnotes contain more information about the Wampanoag tribes and a recipe for Nasamp, a Wampanoag dish.
The authors and illustrators are from various North American indigenous tribes.
“The Thanksgiving story that most Americans know celebrates the Pilgrims. But without members of the Wampanoag tribe who already lived on the land where the Pilgrims settled, the Pilgrims would never have made it through their first winter. And without Weeâchumun (corn), the Native people wouldn’t have helped.” (from Amazon)
This book is written in a more textbook-like manner, but a good informative look into the Wampanoag tribe throughout the year. The authors and illustrators are from various North American indigenous tribes.
“In this companion book to The Pilgrims of Plimoth, winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for nonfiction, Marcia Sewall recreates the world of the Wampanoags, the People of the Breaking Day. In a voice that evokes the pride and natural poetry of these native people and in paintings glowing with life and light, the distinguished author-illustrator presents another view of an important time in American history, a time before the meeting of two very different cultures.” (from Amazon)
Clambake, free to read online at archive.org
We enjoyed learning about a traditional clambake from the point of view of this Wampanoag boy in modern day Massachusetts.
The Children of the Morning Light
These are 11 Wampanoag tales. The author’s note states that they are “from the oral traditions of the Pokonoket or mainland Wampanoag of southeastern Massachusetts.” The author is of the Assonet Wampanoag tribe from the same area. The beautiful illustrations are creations of Mary Arquette who is a Mohawk.
“Eleven stories…recount the origins of the world, the ancient history of the Wampanoag, and the ways in which the spirit Maushop aided the early humans.” (from Amazon)
King Philip and the War with the Colonists, archive.org
The book begins with a brief discussion of Native American life before Columbus and then how it was disrupted by colonization. This is the story of King Philip, the son of Chief Massasoit who had celebrated the settler’s first Thanksgiving meal in 1621.
“Examines the life and fortunes of the Wampanoag Indian leader who led an uprising against the New England colonists in the seventeenth century.” (from Amazon)
Narragansett
Nickommoh means “a celebrational gathering.” This is also a Thanksgiving story focused on the harvest festival of the Narragansett tribe before colonization. We found the illustrations interesting, with the removal of paint giving the pictures more texture. There is an author’s note and glossary at the end.
The authors and illustrators are from various North American indigenous tribes.