Hiacoomes facts for kids

Hiacoomes (born around 1610s, died 1690) was a Wampanoag Native American from Martha's Vineyard. This island is known as Noepe in the Wampanoag language. In 1643, Hiacoomes became the first person from his community to become a Christian. He learned about Christianity from a missionary named Thomas Mayhew Jr. With Mayhew's help, Hiacoomes became an important preacher to his fellow Wampanoag people on the island. He played a big part in many Wampanoag people changing from their traditional beliefs to Christianity.

Early Life and Meeting the English

We don't know much about Hiacoomes' early life. He was described as a "sober spirit" and had a low rank in the Wampanoag community.

In 1639, the first English settlers arrived on Martha's Vineyard. They started a settlement at Edgartown. Hiacoomes was very interested in these new people. He began to visit some of the English in their homes. They also visited him in his wigwam.

He even went to their religious meetings. There, he caught the attention of Thomas Mayhew Jr. Mayhew Jr. was the son of the island's governor and a local pastor. Seeing Hiacoomes' interest, Mayhew Jr. invited him to his house every Sunday evening. Mayhew Jr. taught Hiacoomes about the ideas of Puritanism, a type of Christianity. Hiacoomes learned to read and became a Christian. Records from 1651 suggest he was about 30 years old then. This means he was in his early to mid-20s when he became a Christian.

Becoming a Christian Leader

At first, many Wampanoag people did not like Hiacoomes' new faith. Some even made fun of him and called him "an English man." The Wampanoag leaders, called sachems, were also against this new English religion.

However, in 1646, a serious sickness spread across the island. It followed another sickness from three years before. These illnesses killed about half of the Native population on the island. But Hiacoomes and his family were not affected. Also, Thomas Mayhew Jr. used some cures that seemed to help. This made Christianity seem powerful, especially when traditional healing methods had failed.

This led a group of sachems, including Miohqsoo and Towanquatick, to become curious. They invited Hiacoomes to a meeting late at night. They wanted him to talk about his religion. The story of this meeting is told in a book called Indian Converts by Experience Mayhew:

Hiacoomes arrived, and Miohqsoo welcomed him. He told Hiacoomes what he wanted to know. He asked Hiacoomes to share his feelings about God and what they should do.

Hiacoomes was happy to teach them. He told them everything he had learned about God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. He explained what God did for people and what their duty was to God.

After Hiacoomes finished speaking, Miohqsoo asked him, "How many Gods do the English worship?" Hiacoomes answered, "ONE, and no more." Miohqsoo then listed about 37 main Gods that he had. He asked, "Should I throw away all these 37 for only one?" Hiacoomes replied, "What do you think? I threw away all my Gods, and many more, years ago. Yet, I am still alive today." Miohqsoo said, "You speak the truth. So, I will throw away all my Gods too, and serve that one God with you."

After this meeting, Hiacoomes had more support from his community. He began to preach more openly about topics like sin, the Trinity, and faith in Christ. He especially spoke against the shamans, who were seen by the English as working for the Devil. The English also saw shamans as the main people against the new faith.

In 1649, Hiacoomes publicly challenged the shamans. He dared them to try and kill him with their magic. He said God's power was greater. He survived, and this failure likely made the shamans less trusted. After this, many people became Christians. By 1651, Christian practices were spreading quickly. Thomas Mayhew Jr. said that 199 Wampanoag people "professed themselves to be worshippers of ... God." Some of these new Christians were even former shamans. By then, Hiacoomes was preaching twice every Sunday. He worked closely with Mayhew, who continued to guide him.

Later Life and Legacy

Hiacoomes continued his work for the rest of his life. His efforts were greatly affected by the early death of Thomas Mayhew Jr. in 1657. But even with this challenge, Hiacoomes kept playing a big role in spreading Christianity. By 1660, almost all the Wampanoag people on the island had officially become Christian.

As late as 1674, an English writer still saw Hiacoomes as the main "Indian teacher" on the island. By this time, Wampanoag missionaries themselves were leading the spread of Christianity, not just English ones.

Hiacoomes had several children. One of them, Joel, was one of five Native American students who attended Harvard Indian College. This college existed for a short time, and Joel died while studying there.

In 1670, the first official Native American church was created on the island. This happened with the help of John Eliot and John Cotton Jr. Hiacoomes was made a minister alongside John Tackanash. Hiacoomes gave the speech at Tackanash's funeral in 1683. Hiacoomes himself died in 1690. Several members of his family and his descendants also became important Christian Native Americans on the island.