The Wampanoag Tribe

One of the main players in the Pilgrims' story was the Wampanoag tribe. The Wampanoag tribe at one time had about 12,000 members, but disease claimed so many of them that by the time they encountered the Pilgrims there were fewer than 2,000 of them on the mainland of southeastern Massachusetts. The Wampanoag were farmers and hunters and were able to teach many Pilgrims how to survive in the New World. To do this, though, they had to cross the language barrier. This was famously done by the chief, Massassoit, and later a man named Squanto--both Wampanoag men who had had enough contact with the foreigners that they learned English.

The fate of the Wampanoag was not cheery, despite Massassoit's peace treaties with the Pilgrims in the 1620's. After Massassoit passed away in 1660, the treaty was ignored by the British. The British accused Massassoit's son Wamsutta of cheating the colonists out of land that had been sold to them. This tension grew after Wamsutta's death of illness, but Wamsutta's brother Metacom managed to forge another temporary peace with the English.

Eventually Metacom united different Native American groups in a war against the English colonists, intending to force them out of what was previously Wampanoag land, but this failed drastically. Native American chiefs (including Metacom) were killed, and the remaining Wampanoag had to flee to surrounding islands to escape the English. Their bloodline intermixed with others', and some of their descendants still live on the islands--Martha's Vineyard in particular. Those on islands like Nantucket sadly were wiped out around 1963 due to an epidemic.

Sources: http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/northamerica/wampanoagculture.html
http://www.tolatsga.org/wampa.html

Bias

The thing in John Smith's History of Virginia that most struck me, even before we discussed it in class, was the bias shown by the author. John Smith was regarded by his fellows as a mutineer and a power-hungry murderer, but somehow he managed to paint himself as a renegade hero, the champion of the Jamestown colony and the only righteous person in the New World.

My biggest question regarding this bias is: was it subconscious or intentional? Was John Smith a master schemer who knew how to create a rags-to-riches tale that his audience would eagerly lap up? Or was he really so deluded as to believe himself the only sane man on his excursion?

Even now, opinions are divided as to whether Smith was a hero or an outlaw. One of the main reasons for this, I believe, is because Smith is one of our only complete sources regarding the events at Jamestown. Those who read his journal and take it as fact would see Smith in a totally different light than those who read it skeptically. I think it all boils down to how much we trust Smith as a reliable narrator.

As we discussed in class, we can evaluate how much we should trust Smith based on his track record and on how much he had to gain from lying. It's true that Smith wasn't necessarily well-respected in his early years, but these too are subject to interpretation--was he a disloyal, money-grabbing soldier-for-hire, or did his years in the military teach him responsibility, survival, and the value of hard work? But he did have plenty to gain from lying, just like Cabeza de Vaca before him.

In particular, Pocahontas is an interesting case. According to Smith, she saved his life--but he only wrote this account many years after it allegedly happened, and once Pocahontas had become popular in England. Did he retcon his own personal canon to profit from Pocahontas' fame? It would make a lot of sense, but we can't prove anything, since the only witnesses there were the Native Americans (who, as far as I know, did not record the incident at all) and Smith himself.

I believe the evidence points to Smith being strongly and, likely, intentionally biased, but ultimately we cannot prove this. All we can do is read Smith's account, take it with a grain of salt, and compare/contrast our sources.

Trickster Coyote in Modern Media

One of the most vivid characters in the Native American legends is Coyote. Often called the Trickster, he takes on many different forms and fills many different roles in the myths he appears in; one thing is consistent, though: his sense of humor. He is an easygoing character with a lot of power that he uses to get himself into and out of trouble at the drop of a hat.

One of my favorite portrayals of Coyote is in the webcomic "Gunnerkrigg Court." He introduces himself with laughter, and takes pride even in his failures, which are of course as spectacular as his successes.




(The above image is the property of the artist, Tom Siddell.)

As you can see, Coyote survives even through the modern media. He is not the only trickster, though. Perhaps you have laughed at the antics of Coyote's successor in name and in character: Wile E. Coyote. A bit of a villain, Wile E. is continously plotting the downfall of his nemesis through trickery and shadows. His efforts always double on himself in the end, but we find we can love him anyway.

(Image from tinyurl.com/yady4my ; the characters are the property of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.)

A more somber, spiritual side of Coyote can be seen in the Simpsons episode "El Viejo Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer." This coyote is a parody of the spirit guides seen throughout Native American literature. He tries to guide Homer but, as can be expected from a show like the Simpsons, runs into some hijinks with him along the way.

(Image belongs to the Fox Broadcasting Company.)

As you can see, Trickster Coyote is far from having disappeared from our culture and stories. On the contrary, he's survived through legends and tales for centuries; and he's such a fun, engaging, and clever character, I would not be surprised if he survives for centuries more.