Sachem
Paramount chief of certain North American tribes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A sachem /ˈseɪtʃəm/ or sagamore /ˈsæɡəmɔːr/ is a term for the leaders of Algonquian polities along the northeastern coast of North America. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms (c. 1622) from different Eastern Algonquian languages. Some sources indicate the sagamore was a lesser chief elected by a single band, while the sachem was the head or representative elected by a tribe or group of bands;[1][2][3][4] others suggest the two terms were interchangeable.[5] The sachem is an appointed or elected position and not strictly hereditary.[6] However, the choice of sachem is at least partly based on the prominence of the individual's family or kinship ties to the previous sachem.
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Etymology
The Oxford English Dictionary found a use from 1613. The term "Sagamore" appears in Noah Webster's first An American Dictionary of the English Language published in 1828, as well as the 1917 Webster's New International Dictionary.[7]
One modern source explains:
According to Captain John Smith, who explored New England in 1614, the Massachusett tribes called their kings "sachems" while the Penobscots (of present-day Maine) used the term "sagamos" (anglicized as "sagamore"). Conversely, Deputy Governor Thomas Dudley of Roxbury wrote in 1631 that the kings in the Massachusetts Bay bay area were called sagamores, but were called sachems southward (in Plymouth). The two terms apparently came from the same root. Although "sagamore" has sometimes been defined by colonists and historians as a subordinate lord (or subordinate chief[8]), modern opinion is that "sachem" and "sagamore" are dialectical variations of the same word.[9]
Cognate words
| Family | Language | Word | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Algonquian | Proto-Eastern Algonquian | *sākimāw | theoretical reconstruction |
| Narragansett | sâchim | anglicized as sachem[10] | |
| Lenape | sakima | derived from earlier form sakimaw[11] | |
| Eastern Abnaki | sakəma | anglicized as sagamore[10] | |
| Mi'kmaq | saqamaw | Ninigret | |
| Malecite-Passamaquoddy | sakom | [12] | |
| Western Abnaki | sôgmô | [13] | |
| Wangunk | sequin | [14] | |
| Central Algonquian | Proto-Central Algonquian | *okimāwa | theoretical reconstruction |
| Anishinaabe | ogimaa | [15] | |
| Algonquin | ogimà | [16] | |
| Ottawa | gimaa | [17] | |
| Potawatomi | wgema | anglicised as Ogema | |
| Eastern Swampy Cree | okimâw | [18] | |
| Northern East Cree | uchimaa | [19] | |
| Southern East Cree | uchimaa | [20] | |
| Naskapi | iiyuuchimaaw | [21] | |
| Miami-Illinois | akima | [22] |
Chiefs
The "great chief" (Southern New England Algonquian: massasoit sachem) whose aid was such a boon to the Plymouth Colony—although his motives were complex[23]—is remembered today as simply Massasoit.[24]
Another sachem, Mahomet Weyonomon of the Mohegan tribe, travelled to London in 1735, to petition King George II for fairer treatment of his people. He complained that their lands were becoming overrun by encroachment from white settlers.[citation needed] Other sachems included Awashonks, Weetamoo, Quaiapen, Uncas, Wonalancet, Askamaboo, Cheryll Toney Holley, Madockawando, Saunkskwa of Missitekw and Samoset.
In popular culture
Government and politics
- The leader of New York City's Tammany Hall was officially referred to as Sachem.[25]
- In the 1940s, the legislature of Indiana created the honorary title of "Sagamore of the Wabash", analogous to Kentucky Colonel. In 1996, the government designated "Sachem of the Wabash" as a higher honor.[26]
Schools
- Sachem School District, on Long Island, one of the largest school districts on the island.
- Algonquin Regional High School, in Northborough, MA, named its art and poetry magazine Sachem after this Algonquian word.[citation needed]
- Laconia High School, in Laconia, NH, refers to all of its athletic teams as the "Sachems".[citation needed]
- Middleborough High School, in Middleboro, MA, refers to all of its athletic teams as the "Sachems".[citation needed]
- Pentucket Regional High School, in West Newbury, MA, refers to all of its athletic teams as the "Sachems".
- Saugus High School, in Saugus, MA, refers to all of its athletic teams as the "Sachems".[citation needed]
- Massapequa High School, in Massapequa, NY, named its annual student yearbook The Sachem.
- The Sachems, a secret society at Columbia University
