A People Who Have Never Left

The Nipmuc — "people of the fresh water" — lived across what is now central Massachusetts and parts of Connecticut and Rhode Island, along the region's ponds, rivers, and inland waterways.

Beginning in the 1650s, Puritan missionary John Eliot established "praying towns" — Christian Indian settlements meant to convert and control Native populations across the region. Hassanamesit (in present-day Grafton) was one of the original seven praying towns, and one of only two to build its own church. Nipmuc families who moved there did so for varied reasons: protection from Mohawk raids, access to food and education, and the pressures of English expansion into Nipmuc homelands.

When King Philip's War broke out in 1675, Nipmuc people faced an impossible set of choices. Some, like the sachem Muttawmp, led resistance against colonial militias — his forces ambushed and besieged English troops at Brookfield that August. Others, including many at Hassanamesit, initially pledged neutrality before being drawn into the war as the fighting reached Nipmuc country. Still others served as scouts, interpreters, and go-betweens for the English.

That October, colonial authorities interned hundreds of "praying Indians" — including Nipmuc families — on Deer Island in Boston Harbor, fearing they might side with the resistance. Confined through the winter with little food or shelter, many died of cold, starvation, and disease. Nipmuc descendants still travel to Deer Island every October to hold a memorial ceremony for those who were held there.

By the war's end in 1676, Nipmuc communities had been devastated — many killed, sold into slavery in the Caribbean, or forced into indenture in English households. Hassanamesit itself sat empty for nearly two decades; when Nipmuc families were finally permitted to return in the 1690s, only five of the original families came back.

The Hassanamisco Club holds its annual Pow Wow at the Cisco Homestead on Brigham Hill in Grafton, Massachusetts, with speakers, games, and a dinner for sale.

Governor Michael S. Dukakis signs the Executive Order recognizing the Nipmuc, Mashpee, and Gay Head Wampanoag Tribal Councils as the state's official points of contact. Read the full order on the Government page.

The Nipmuc Nation pursues federal acknowledgment.

The U.S. Department of the Interior's decision affirms the historical existence of the Hassanamisco Nipmuc people and the long-standing presence of Nipmuc families in the region, while declining acknowledgment under the specific federal criteria in place at the time. Read more on the About Us page.

A unilateral and unauthorized change in leadership creates a split within the community. The Tribal Council's account of this event is on the Home page and About Us.

The Nipmuc Nation Tribal Council continues its work — cultural preservation, community events, and advocacy for a united Nipmuc people.