Communication

The Narragansett had, as Roger Williams describes, a strong desire to hear news. A Manittóo was a stranger who would run from town to town, spreading news relaying what is happening in each town’s own language. During times of war or urgency, a messenger would run to a town and inform them of what is going on, and then a fresh messenger would then run to the next town and repeat the process.1

 In this way, new spread relatively quickly among the Narragansett, demonstrating their interconnected societal relations. To listen to the news as it arrives, all gather in a double or triple circle formation, depending on the amount of people, and sit silent. The men each have a pipe of tobacco, and give all their attention to the one person relaying the news.1

Today, the Narragansett still speak using talking circles, and use a stick or a feather to denote a speaker. This dedication and commitment to news emphasizes that communication is a key element of Narragansett societal relations, and that everyone has a respect for listening to what others have to say.1

Within the scope of Meshanticut, the main language was Narragansett. There were many dialects that were not entirely dissimilar to the Narragansett language, but the nearest languages that were classified as entirely separate were Mohegan and Massachusett. The Narragansett language is part of a larger family of languages, the Algonquin language family. Algonquin languages use 4 main parts of speech: nouns, pronouns, verbs and particles.2

Marriage

When young women were of a ‘marriageable age,’ they were distinguished from other women by wearing their hair with bangs falling down over their eyes. In Narragansett society, premarital sex was accepted, but once a person was married, both parties were expected to remain faithful to one another.1 

This shows that the Narragansett believed in commitment to a romantic partner, which has some similarities to European culture. Aside from this, one key difference is that women could only have one husband, but men could have several wives. In the relationship, it was the women who brought in money and financial stability rather than the men.1

Some couples could also divorce, and both parties were allowed to initiate this process. This shows the intricate social relations within the realm of marriage and divorce. It signals that couples could acknowledge when they were and were not happy, and then take action to fix problems, which are signs of healthy relationship skills. These principles contribute to a peaceful and calm society.1

Family Relations

The Narragansett as a whole referred to themselves as ‘The People’ (nnínnuog). All across America, the use of ‘The people’ as a way to refer to a tribal community was extremely common, as most groups did not even have a native word for what they call themselves until after colonization.1 

The word ‘Narragansett’ itself translates to ‘The people of the small point,’ referring to the geography of the land they occupied. Within a family, children are taught to respect their parents and elders. Parents also have a very strong bond to their own children. As children grow up, punishment was not utilized as a common form of parenting. Instead, Natives taught their children through storytelling, modeling behavior, and encouragement. This is one example of how their easy-going and peaceful methods contribute to their overall climate of positive community and good social relations among one another.1

 They also hold the bond of brotherhood very dearly, as shown in their process of punishing one brother for another brother’s crimes. For example, if one brother committed murder and fled, the other brother would be executed and pay the debts of his brother to society for him. This seems extreme, but it shows the dedication the Narragansett had to family, and that they would even die for one another. When a loved one passes, some even burn down their houses and destroy all their possessions, to grieve their loss and make an offering to the gods who they believe took their loved ones. The lengths the Narragansett go to here is demonstrative of their nature to give up material possessions in order to more deeply connect to others.1

Town Structure

Each Narragansett town was estimated to contain about 500 people in the 1600’s, which is a relatively large size, but not too large to the point where most were strangers to others.1 

These communities were most likely very interconnected, and the observations many have made proves this close communication. As Roger Williams specifically describes, it was common for a single person to not have a house (Wétu) of their own, and so following the death of a loved one they would often leave and move into another house with friends. This shows their reliance upon one another in times of need.1 

In each house, on average 1-2 families could live comfortably. These families were extremely close with each other, as they used the same resources and shared everything.1 

Today, modern Rhode Island is built upon these tightly-knit communities, a couple key places being the Narragansett towns of Pawtucket, Woonsocket, Apponaug, Weekapaug, and Usquepaug.

Greetings

The Narragansett devotion to kindness and peace is communicated through their friendly greetings, and multiple words and phrases for saying hello. The greeting “What cheer nétop?” is a way of asking ‘What’s up my friend?’1

The word nétop is utilized in many greeting phrases, demonstrating the Narragansett’s tendency to refer to all people as their close friends. Greetings like these create a climate of tranquility and trust in one another. Roger Williams describes how most Natives greet each other with an enthusiastic Asco wequássin (hello), but some are ‘gloomy and rude,’ which he equates to the various attitudes of the English when greeting another person. In this way, he makes a comparison between Native greetings and English greetings, showing that their social interactions in this context are very similar.1

More formal greetings were used for people of higher status and prestige. When a Native would greet a sachem, they would most commonly use the phrase ‘Cowaúnckamish,’ which translates to ‘I am at your service.’ Here other similarities to European culture can be perceived, as most make statements like these in front of people who are considered royalty or of high power. Although sachems were not considered royalty, but rather tribal leaders and individuals to look to for guidance, this is still significant because it demonstrates the respect the Narragansett had for one another, and it hints to a social hierarchy in Narragansett society. This hierarchy or structure of Native society is shown through the various classifications of greetings from formal to informal.1