Passaconaway

Passaconaway, which translates to "Child of the Bear", was sachem of the Pennacook people in what is now northern New England in the United States.

One of the key native figures in the colonial history of New Hampshire, Passaconaway was believed to have been born between 1550 and 1570, and is said to have died in 1679. He was a powerful shaman and sachem (chief) of the Pennacook, eventually becoming bashaba (chief of chiefs) of a multi-tribal confederation that drew together for mutual protection against the Mohawk Nation. In his old age Passaconaway relinquished his positions of authority to travel among the tribes and settlers in the New Hampshire-Massachusetts-Maine area. He was revered by both Native Americans and European settlers.

His native name was "Papisse Conewa", meaning, Child of the Bear, or Son of the Bear, but white settlers anglicized the name as Passaconaway. In his later years he was sometimes referred to as St. Aspenquid.

Legend holds that Passaconaway was a giant, genius, and possessed magical powers, such as making water burn, and trees and rocks dance. According to folklore, he could make dried up leaves turn green and make living snakes out of dead snake skin. It was said that he could become invisible and create thunderstorms at will.

Even before the Pilgrims' 1620 landing on the Massachusetts coast, a European ship's captain reported seeing a huge native standing atop a coastal cliff, surmising he was probably the native often referred to as Conway. European history records that Passaconaway lived at the top of the Pawtucket Falls at what is now Lowell, Massachusetts; a marker was placed there in 1935. Local New Hampshire history says that he lived and moved seasonally among various fishing and planting spots, including the Merrimack River falls in present-day Manchester, fertile islands in the river, coastal spots along the seashore, and other places along the Merrimack such as present-day Horseshoe Pond.

...
Wikipedia