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Sachem Uncas
Sachem Walkingfox
carries his Mohegan staff
Before beginning the story of Sachem Uncas, also known as the Fox, for his abilities to outsmart all who wished him dead, I need to be sure that it is understood that the sources for some of this information was handed down by my Grandfather and other Elders and some was from other sources. All of these teachings by my Mohegan Elders, took place at our monthly meetings, while I was growing up in Uncasvillage.
As computers, telephones or libraries did not exist in the time of Sachem Uncas, it would be nearly impossible to say that there is any source about him that is perfect. It is very disturbing to me and my family to read all of the so called true stories about not only Sachem Uncas, but the Mohegan people as well, written by those who are neither Mohegan, nor even Native. How can one be an expert without living the story? Walkingfox
This is what I know:
Uncas, who was the first Sachem of the Mohegan People was a descendant of Royal Blood. His mother was Mekunump and his father was Oweneco, they were both Pequots.
Uncas was born near what is today Norwichtown, the historical Pequotvillage in Connecticut and lived in the time of 1588-1683?
Most people believe that American Natives chased their food source, mainly the Woolly Mammoth, through the Bering Straits Land Bridge and that our people then came across and down into what are now the Great Lakes and the Hudson River Valley. Our English name became known as the Monheags. One of these groups of people became land diggers or farmers, however, most of the tribes in that area were warring tribes which over time, forced this group of Monheag People East.
After some time and many forced movements, this group of Monheags ended up along the Quinatucquet River, which later became known as the Connecticut River in what is now Connecticut.
The many years of battles and losing their farms, taught this tribe how to fight, so that when the Mashantuckets, Missituks, Niantic’s, like the Mohawks had so long ago, came to destroy them and take their farms, the Monheags were ready for them, waging war first on them, then the Dutch and then the French. After this, the Dutch called them the Pequins, then the French changed their name to Pequods and the English changed it to Pequot’s.
At the time when the English showed up on the Quinatucquet and Pequot Rivers, Sachem Wopigwooit was the leader of the tribe. After his passing, the people then chose Sasscus as leader, instead of Uncas who should have rightfully been Sachem, hoping that he would force the English back into the ocean. Sasscus like the Niantic’s and the Narragansett’s hated the English and was at war with them constantly. War chief Uncas, who was Sasscus's son in law, tried to reason with Sasscus and the people, but they would not listen to him.
So Uncas took all who wished to go with him, across the Pequot River, to the Caucheganvillage, gave them back their old name Monheags
and became their Sachem.
When it became clear that Sachem Sasscus would not rest until the English, Niantic’s, Narragansett’s and all of the surrounding tribes were removed from the land, everyone came together and completely eliminated the Pequots. The English changed the name of our river to the Thames River and Sachem Uncas’s people eventually became known as the Mohegan’s.
Uncas Leap Falls
This is a true story of just what did happen at the Early one morning, Sachem Uncas The
enemy from the North had a scout band
When Uncas arrived to pray, this leader from the North, This
leader from the North, fearing the loss of his enemy The
enemy from the North cut off all of the paths back By
now all of the Mohegan warriors were aware of the These Warriors chased
Uncas to the Falls,
The Narragansetts were now trapped. Aquine,
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