Weetamoo
| Weetamoo | |
|---|---|
| Wampanoag leader | |
|
In office 1675 – 1676 |
|
| Preceded by | Corbitant |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Namumpum Weetamoo 1635 present day North Tiverton, Rhode Island |
| Died | August 6, 1676 (aged 40–41) Taunton, Massachusetts |
| Cause of death | Drowning |
| Children | Massasoit |
| Military service | |
| Nickname(s) |
|
| Battles/wars | King Philip's War |
Weetamoo (c. 1635–1676), also referred to as Weethao, Weetamoe, Wenunchus, Wattimore, Namumpum, and Tatapanunum, was a Pocasset Wampanoag Native American Chief. She was the sunksqua, or female sachem, of Pocasset. She was born in the Mattapoiset village of the Pokanoket or at Rhode Island's Taunton River area, and died at Taunton River. Her father was either Corbitant, sachem of the Pocasset tribe in present-day North Tiverton, Rhode Island, c. 1618–1630 or Passaconaway, a chieftain in the Pennacook. She had five husbands, the most famous of whom was Wamsutta, the eldest son of Massasoit, grand sachem of the Wampanoag and participant in the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims.
According to the Tiverton Four Corners website, "the squaw sachem, Weetamoo" governed the Pocasset tribe, which occupied today's Tiverton, Rhode Island in 1620. Weetamoo joined "with King Philip in fighting the colonists" in 1680, in King Philip's War, also known as "Metacomet's Rebellion." King Philip’s War is named for the uprising of Metacomet, Weetamoo’s brother in law and the younger brother of Wamsutta, who was also known by the English name Philip. Early on in the war, Weetamoo gave support to Metacomet by aiding his forces with the strength of her soldiers.
Weetamoo/Wenunchus was married five times.
She became sunksqua because her father had no sons, and was defended by an army of more than 300 men that she commanded. Her being a woman did not diminish her authority, despite many colonists’ lack of understanding of her position. It has been theorized that some of the lesser known sachems assumed to have been male may have been female sunksquas, especially since female leaders were not unheard of among the Algonquian tribes.
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