The Nauset tribe, sometimes referred to as the Cape Cod Indians lived in what is present-day Cape Cod, Massachusetts, living east of Bass River and lands occupied by their closely related neighbours, the Wampanoag. Although a distinct tribe, they were often subject to Wampanoag overlordship and shared many similar aspects of culture, such as speaking an N-dialect of Algonquian language and similar agricultural practices. Due to their ocean proximity, they had a greater reliance on seafood than other tribes. The tribe was one of the first to be visited by Western seafarers, whose abduction of tribal members for slavery and introduction of diseases greatly reduced Nauset even before large-scale colonization of New England. The pilgrims encountered the Nauset during their landing near present-day Provincetown

Provincetown, Massachusetts

Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,431 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2007 population of 3,174...

, where the Nauset, weary of foreigners, tried to resist. The pilgrims are also noted for stealing maize from Nauset graves they encountered, further fuelling tensions between the two groups.

The Nauset were the colonists' greatest allies. Before King Philip's War

King Philip's War

King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...

, most were Christianised and aided the colonists as scouts and warriors against the other tribes. Despite this, they were confined to Praying Villages

Praying Towns

Praying towns were developed by the Puritans of New England from 1646 to 1675 in an effort to convert the local Native American tribes to Christianity. The Natives who moved into these towns were known as Praying Indians. Before 1674 the villages were the most ambitious Christianization experiment...

. Their numbers, always small, were reduced, but the addition of other Native American tribes after King Phillip’s War and intermarriage with other settlers preserved Native American lineage. Although no longer distinct as a tribe, most of the Mashpee Wampanoag band are descended from Nauset people, who currently number 1,100 people and are federally recognised (as Wampanoag).

Not only does their bloodline live on in some self-identified Wampanoag tribal members, Hyannis

Hyannis

Hyannis may refer to a location in the United States:* Hyannis, Massachusetts* Hyannisport, Massachusetts* Hyannis, Nebraska...

 and the Wianno section of Osterville

Osterville, Massachusetts

Osterville is one of the seven villages within the Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts. The village of Osterville is located on the south side of Barnstable on Nantucket Sound...

 are named after the Nauset sachem

Sachem

A sachem[p] or sagamore is a paramount chief among the Algonquians or other northeast American tribes. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms from different Eastern Algonquian languages...

 Iyannough.

Legacy

• Nauset Regional High School
  Nauset Regional High School
  Nauset Regional High School an NEASC accredited High School located in North Eastham, Massachusetts. Nauset is the only high school on the East Coast located within a National Park. . The open campus is situated about a half-mile from Nauset Lighthouse...
  
   is located in North Eastham
  North Eastham, Massachusetts
  North Eastham is a census-designated place in the town of Eastham in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,915 at the 2000 census.The main visitor center of the Cape Cod National Seashore is located in North Eastham....
  
  , within the boundaries of the Cape Cod National Seashore
  Cape Cod National Seashore
  The Cape Cod National Seashore , created on August 7, 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, encompasses on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It includes ponds, woods and beachfront of the Atlantic coastal pine barrens ecoregion...
  
  , and serves students from Brewster
  Brewster, Massachusetts
  Brewster is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States, Barnstable County being coextensive with Cape Cod. The population of Brewster was 9,820 at the 2010 census.Brewster is twinned with the town of Budleigh Salterton in the United Kingdom....
  
  , Orleans
  Orleans, Massachusetts
  Orleans is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. Barnstable County is coextensive with Cape Cod. The population was 5,890 at the 2010 census....
  
  , Eastham
  Eastham, Massachusetts
  Eastham is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States, Barnstable County being coextensive with Cape Cod. The population was 5,453 at the 2000 census....
  
  , and Wellfleet
  Wellfleet, Massachusetts
  Wellfleet is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. Located halfway between the "tip" and "elbow" of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the town had a population of 2,749 at the 2000 census, which swells nearly sixfold during the summer...
  
  .
• Nauset Regional Middle School is located in Orleans, and serves students from the same towns as the high school.
• Nauset Light Beach is located in North Eastham.
• Nauset Beach is located in Orleans.

External links

• Nauset History
• Nauset Marine