Wyandanch (sachem)
| Wyandanch | |
|---|---|
| Montaukett leader | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1615 Montauk Village, New York, United States |
| Died | 1658 (aged 42–43) Long Island City, Queens, New York, United States |
| Resting place | New York, United States |
Wyandanch (born 1615, Montauk Village, Paum-man-ak-e, New York–died 1658, Long Island City, Queens, New York) was a sachem of the Montaukett Indians in the mid-17th century on eastern Long Island. Initially he was a minor chief among the Montaukett, but due to his skillful manipulation of various alliances and his accommodating stance towards the European colonists who gave him substantial military and economic support, he eventually became an influential "alliance chief" (a sachem who was responsible for maintaining friendly relations between his tribe and the settlers).
Wyandanch (sometimes spelled as Wyandance) was born on Long Island roughly at the time of the pilgrims' arrival at Plymouth in present-day Massachusetts. While still young, in the second half of the 1630s Wyandanch heard about the almost total destruction of the Pequot in the Pequot War. He concluded that it was best to come to an understanding with the English colonists in southern New England and on Long Island.
Throughout most of the mid-17th century, Wyandanch was involved in a three-way political, and occasionally military, struggle against the famous Mohegan sachem Uncas and the Niantic sachem Ninigret. Acting with the support of the colonists, Wyandanch was able to resist the Native American pressures. He kept his tribe in relation to the colonists.
Wyandanch was credited by Lion Gardiner with being the sachem who prevented a rebellion by Miantonomoh (sometimes spelled as Miantonomi) of the Narragansetts. Miantonomoh supported the English during the Pequot War and in 1638 a tripartite treaty of peace and friendship was signed between the English, the Narragansetts and the Mohegans. However, upset by further expansion of English colonies and the founding of new settlements, in 1640 Miantomoh approached Wyandanch with an offer of an anti-English alliance and a surprise attack on the newly built colonial villages. Wyandanch however, reminded Miantomoh about the fate of the Pequots and of the Mystic river massacre and in that way managed to dissuade him from attacking the English for the time being. In 1643 the Narragansetts went to war against the Mohegans, were defeated, and Miantomoh was captured by Uncas and executed with the approval of the British. Because Miantomoh had been trying to agitate other Montaukett chiefs against Wyandanch - to get their support against the Mohegans, which Wyandanch refused - his defeat and death strengthened Wyandanch's position within his own tribe.
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