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The Wampanoags in the seventeenth century

Chapter 36: INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD
By Catherine Marten
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About This Book

This work provides an ethnographic overview of the Wampanoag people during the seventeenth century, focusing on their culture, social structure, and interactions with European settlers. It serves as a comprehensive guide for understanding the Wampanoags, particularly in the context of their historical significance in New England. The content is based on various scholarly sources and aims to fill a gap in the literature regarding the indigenous population of Plymouth. The paper was initially created for educational purposes and has since gained interest from both the public and academic communities.

INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD

The few observations that were recorded suggest that the Wampanoags had a high birth rate and rather high infant mortality.[453] The high number of infant deaths may have been due in part to the fact that within three days after its birth the baby was being carried about on the mother’s back in all the tasks that she went about outside.[454] Moreover, the Wampanoag style of cradle board made no provision for a device to shield the infant’s face.[455]

A baby’s clothing consisted of a coating of grease and a beaver skin or other fur wrapping in which he was bound onto the cradle board. The child was tied so that his knees were drawn up against his stomach, then when the board was set down and leaned somewhere he would be in a sitting position.[456]

Babies were soothed by the lullabies of their mothers.[457] It is said that they were generally very quiet infants and cried little. The Wampanoags were extremely fond of their children, giving them a great deal of indulgence and affection.[458] Infants were not weaned until they were over a year old.[459] Such child-rearing practices resulted in children that were “sawcie, bold, and undutifull”, according to English eyes.[460]