Holmes: Natick Indians return with prayers, history and controversy

The Praying Indians are back in Natick, and the Redmen are on their way out.

There they were last weekend, on the shores of Lake Cochituate, their chants and ceremonial dances a blend of worship and fun. Caring Hands, the latest in a long line of "Clan Mothers," led the worship, reciting the Lord's Prayer in the native Algonquian tongue.

This mix of Christian theology and Native American custom dates back to 1651, when John Eliot, an English colonist dedicated to converting the Indians, founded the first of his "praying villages" in Natick. Eliot and his Indian converts, notably John Sassamon, created a written version of the Indians' Algonquian language and published the "Up-Biblum God" - the first Bible printed in the New World.

But Christianity didn't bring peace to the New World. Massasoit, the sachem who had helped the Pilgrims make a home in New England, died and his second son, known as both King Philip and Metacomet, eventually took his place. Eliot sent Sassamon, his protege, to convert Philip to Christianity.

Things didn't work out. Sassamon, perhaps the smartest and most educated Indian of his time, served both Eliot and Philip. Pulled between Christianity and his native heritage, he inspired admiration and distrust on both sides. His murder in 1675 is still as controversial among historians as his life.

Sassamon's death, most agree, turned out to be the spark that set off King Philip's War, that little-studied conflict that, in terms of casualties per capita, still stands as America's bloodiest war. It also set the terms for more than two centuries of conflict that followed between European settlers and Native Americans.

Sassomon's murder, writes Jill Lepore in "The Name of War," "signaled the failure of the English and native peoples to live together peaceably, the gradual loss of native political autonomy and the eventual extinction of the Massachusett language. And, by the war's end, the Algonquian population in New England had been drastically and permanently reduced."

As fighting raged across New England, Natick's Praying Indians were caught in the middle, distrusted by both sides. They served as translators and scouts for the English, but were accused of warning the Indians of the colonials' advances.

When colonists fled their outposts west of Boston, race trumped religion. Despite their professed and demonstrated loyalty to the English, Praying Indians in Natick and elsewhere were confined to their villages. Then, in late October 1675, they were herded in chains to Deer Island. Hundreds died there of cold, disease and starvation. Many were eventually sold into slavery, in part to raise money to help pay for the war.

Some Praying Indians continued to serve with the English, and were eventually credited with tracking down King Philip at Mount Hope, R.I., where he was executed and his body cut into pieces.

The Praying Indians were released from Deer Island and sent back to Natick, but they never recovered. Bit by bit, their land was taken from them. They were driven off, or worse. One account notes the summary execution of an Indian known as Captain Tom in 1676, on the spot where Jordan's Furniture now sits.

Natick's Praying Indians survived, in ever dwindling numbers, continuing to play a part in the nation's history. Crispus Attucks, one of the victims of the Boston Massacre, was the son of a Natick Praying Indian mother and an African prince, though most history books simply refer to him as an escaped slave.

Twenty-one Praying Indians fought in the Revolutionary War, their service recognized on a plaque near Natick's first cemetery. But by the 20th century, their legacy was part of Natick's history, not its present. A mural on the post office wall, painted by Natick native Hollis Holbrook in 1937, depicts a somber John Eliot sending the Praying Indians off to Deer Island in chains.

A few years ago, a Natick woman wrote a letter to the editor proclaiming the mural offensive and demanding it be removed. Her letter brought loud objections from those who believe we should look at our history with eyes open instead of painting over it. Not only is the mural still there, the Postal Service has just finished restoring it.

Ten years ago, Fire Woman, an Abenaki Indian, approached Natick selectmen for permission to hold a Native American Powwow, which has become an annual tradition. Two years ago, it was moved to Cochituate State Park as an official gathering of the Praying Indians of Natick and Ponkapoag.

Through all the years in between, Caring Hands told me at the powwow last weekend, members of the tribe survived as remnants, sharing their stories, their faith, their traditions. They are now raising their profile and their voices, she said, because "when you have a wound, you must got to the root cause of the wound."

They face new challenges, including the insulting modern perception that every tribe is set on getting rich off its own casino. And there are grievances to settle, including the nickname of Natick High School sports teams, which for 50 years have been known as the Redmen.

Before that, the teams were known as "The Red and Blue," a reference to their colors, not Natick's Indian history, and arguments persist over whether "Redmen" has anything to do with the Praying Indians. But to the Praying Indians, it is a racial slur and they approached the school committee last year requesting a change.

School officials agreed, and their decision to change the name has aroused the tribal loyalties of another clan, the proud alumni of Natick High. A committee this week entertained suggestions for a new nickname, including Natick Pride, Natick Americans, and - Caring Hands' suggestion - Red Hawk Men.

None of these will satisfy those who claim to have shed Redmen blood on the gridiron of old Natick High. But their story, their history and their suffering cannot compare to that of the Natick Praying Indians. Renaming high school teams is the least Natick should do to welcome back its founders.

Rick Holmes is opinion editor of the MetroWest (Mass.) Daily News. He can be reached by email at rholmes@cnc.com.