Sachem Uncas

Sachem Walkingfox carries his Mohegan staff
Images created for Sachem-Uncas.com are copyrighted©

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.

The signature of Sachem Uncas

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.

Cauchegan Rock is a sacred place to
my Mohegan people.

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.

Indian Leap Falls in Norwich,
the City of Kings, Connecticut.

Uncas Leap Falls

This is a true story of just what did happen at the
Great Falls in the City of Kings, so very long ago.

Early one morning, Sachem Uncas
was at the Cauchegan Prayer Rock
near what is now Montville, Connecticut,
where he often prayed and held court.

The enemy from the North had a scout band
of their tribe hiding in the woods waiting,
for they knew that Uncas loved this place.

When Uncas arrived to pray, this leader from the North,
sent some of his braves back to the village to advise his
Chief of the their plan to attempt to capture Uncas.

This leader from the North, fearing the loss of his enemy
Uncas and hoping to become a hero to his tribe,
convinced his braves to leave their hiding places
in the woods and try to capture Sachem Uncas.

The enemy from the North cut off all of the paths back
to the City of the Kings, so Uncas went North.
Uncas and his men, ran until they came to the Great Falls,
which was another prayer place for the Mohegans.

By now all of the Mohegan warriors were aware of the
situation and were pursuing the Narragansetts,
or the Enemy from the North as they were called.

These Warriors chased Uncas to the Falls,
but not familiar with the local terrain or the area.
Sachem Uncas quickly leaped 40 foot over the falls,
landing on what is now called the prayer altar and safety.

The Narragansetts were now trapped.
They tried to jump the falls as had Sachem Uncas,
but were not successful.

Aquine,
Walkingfox