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“Anawan’s Rock” -Part 2 of Native Tongue Series LbNA #61000 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Shamoose
Plant date:Feb 26, 2012
Location: Route 44
City:Rehoboth
County:Plymouth
State:Massachusetts
Boxes:1
Found by: Nairon
Last found:Jul 25, 2014
Status:FFFFaFa
Last edited:Feb 26, 2012
“Anawan’s Rock” Letterbox
Part 2 of the Native Tongues Series
Enjoy the contents and replace it where
you found it, hidden from view. If the
contents are missing or damaged,
please email mooseal33@yahoo.com
placed by “Shamoose” on
Atlasquest.org 2/26/2012


Wampanoag has a meaning of "people of the first light." This letterbox is placed in honor of them.

Directions: From the north: Take Route 44 West/Winthrop ST into Rehoboth. Look for the Anawan's Rock sign on the left hand side of the road. From the south: Route 44 East/Winthrop ST into Rehoboth. Look for the Anawan's Rock sign on the right hand side of the road.

Clue: Park in the parking area. Walk the gravel path to Anawan's Rock. Stay to the right on the path and pass a bench and swampy area. You will be walking along the base of the rock along your left. Once you start to loop around the base of the rock and start heading uphill, there will be some "bumpy" rocks straight ahead. Stay to the right of the bumpy rocks and you will see a bunch of tree clusters on the right. Find the big grey birch with 2 trunks on the right with a rock in the center. There is a small path on the right, just past this 2 trunked tree. Follow the path to the next 2 trunked birch (one big, one small) on the right with a mossy mound on the left. Look behind that tree at the base on the left side under bark, a rock and sticks. PLEASE REHIDE/RECOVER IT WELL! This is a very visible spot and be aware of eyes!

History: Wampanoag's chief Sachem, Massasoit (a.k.a. Woosamequin) was the peace keeper between English settlers and his native people. Massasoit's son, Pometacom (a.k.a. King Philip) became Chief Sachem after Massasoit's death. Pometacom/King Philip was later killed by English and Mohegan forces under the command of Josiah Winslow, the Governor of Plymouth Colony. He was shot through the heart by an indian soldier fighting on the colonial troops side in an attack on his camp at Mount Hope on August 12, 1676.
Anawan (also spelled Anawon) was Pometacom's greatest war general and also Massasoit's son-in-law. During the Great Swamp Fight, Anawan and about 60 followers escaped death and encamped here at this puddingstone rock in this area known as the Sqannakonk Swamp. Anawan was an elusive warrior that never camped in the same place. Anawan was tracked down at this rock in Rehoboth after an Indian soldier tipped Captain Benjamin Church off to this location. Anawan had pots and kettles boiling and spits roasting at this cozy camp and had all their arms set together under the cover of mats. Capt. Church secured these arms and surprised Anawan, who was forced to surrender. They then ate together and slept restlessly nearby, keeping an eye on each other most of the night. At one point in the night, Anawan presented Church with the sacred "sachem belt that told in designs of black and white wampum the histories and events of the tribes since time immemorial." The belt was given to Anawan by Pometacom days before Pometacom died. The belt's location is now unknown, as it may have been sent to England from the Plymouth colony. Capt. Church's troops capture of Anawan here (2 weeks after Pometacom's death), was the final event of King Philip's War. Church brought Anawan and half a dozen of his Indian soldiers to Plymouth and then attended to business in Boston. Two days after returning from Boston, Church learned, much to his dismay, that the heads of Anawan, Tuspaquin, etc., were cut off and displayed in Plymouth.
Captain Church was commissioned by the Governor of Plymouth Colony, Josiah Winslow, to raid indian camps throughout the area. Church learned to fight by observing indian patterns of war. He persuaded many neutral or formerly hostile Indians to surrender and join his unit. Church went on to lead raiding parties in King William's War and Queen Anne's War in Acadia, Maine. He died in Little Compton, Rhode Island.
The rock is made up of puddingstone-a conglomerate of rounded pebbles of differing colors and a sandy cement-like mixture. The pebbles look like raisins in a pudding, thus the origin of the name.

Quotes taken from "The Wampanoag Indian Federation: Indian Neighbors of the Pilgrims" by Milton A. Travers. (Pg. 213)

Bring a bag to pick up trash and Pitch-in with helping preserve this beautiful place!