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HistoryContinued from page 13Acolonists and the Indians coexisted peacefully. Closer to home. King Phillips War of 1675 in and around Plymouth Massachusetts had far reaching effects which set the tone of relations between the Native Americans and the European settlers. King Phillip was actually an Indian Chief of the Waniopanoag Indians and not an English ruler assome think. A variety of things led to these two wars, but the most predominant cause was the encroachment of English settlers on Indian land. Other wars followed. The term “Indian Wars is a collective term used to describe the many wars that later followed.During Queen Anne's war of 1702- 1713, 46 residents of Wells were killed and 20 were captured. Among them were Mary Storer. Tabitha Littlefield and EstherWheelwright. Esther was only 7 years old when captured. She lived with the Indians for about five years before being taken to Quebec. She eventually became a nun in Quebec, taking her vows in 1715. It is thought that Tabitha Littlefield remained with her Indian captors. A story circulated that many years later she returned briefly and identified herself to a local woman but did not remain. Mary Storer, also taken to Canada, decided to remainthere and eventually married a French manPeace between the Indians and the settlers finally came in 1760 only to be followed by another war. this time in the form of the American Revolution. It is interesting to note that many Native Americans fought in the American Revolution on the side of the Americans.Wells Historian Hope Shelley writes the following in her bookMy Name Is Wells - I Am the Town:”“Though it has been more than 300 years since the Abenaki Indians walked our shores, many reminders of them remain Their Algonquian language is very much with us. Sachem, papoose, quahog. hominy, succotash and tomahawk are but a few that we recognize.For more information on the Abenaki tribe one only has to enter the words Abenaki Heritage intoan Internet search engine and hun dreds of sites can be viewed.Additionally. Julie Wheelwright, descendant of Esther Wheelwright created a movie about her ancestors capture by Indians in 1703. The movie is called Captive and most recently showed in Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Mass. in February.Kathy Ostrander is a Kennebunk resident and can he reached at kathyvzQ msn.com
Newspaper Details
Kennebunk York County Coast Star
Kennebunk, Maine, US
Thu, Mar 10, 2005
Page 17
Full Page
Clipped by
Susun W.
USA 14 Jul 2024
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Kennebunk York County Coast Star
