Webster/Dudley Band of Chaubunagungamaug Nipmuck Indians

The Chaubunagungamaug Nipmuck prefer the spelling Nipmuck as opposed to Nipmuc. The term derives from nippamaug, "freshwater fishing pond." This has cognates in the closely related Massachusett language (with revived Wampanoag spelling in parentheses), such as the base nippa-/(nup-), 'freshwater,' and -âmaug/(-ômâk), 'fishing pond.' Chaubunagungamaug, one of two official Indigenous names for Webster Lake which occupies much of the southern half of the town, signifies "divided fishing place" or "fishing place at the boundary," because the lake was once divided into exclusive fishing zones with the Nipmuck at the northern part of the lake living in a village also known as Chabunagungamag and a related Nipmuck group living at Monuhchogok (Manchaug) to the south of the lake. The lake's full name is Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg and includes roots cognate to Massachusett /(), 'to divide,' and -âmaug/(-ômâk), 'fishing pond.' Eliot used a variant, Chabonakongkomun, for the Praying town established near the site of the old village and its inhabitants. Throughout most of the 18th century, the Nipmuck of Chaubunagungamaug were commonly referred to as the Pegan Indians (not to be confused with Piegan Blackfoot) because of the prevalent nature of the surname Pegan amongst its members, many of whom had ancestral ties to Natick. It is found in local place names as or meaning 'clear'—as in something cut down or thin to let light through, and by extension, 'bare,' 'barren,' or 'treeless.' It is cognate to Massachusett /(pâhk-), 'clear.' English settlers, and later other immigrant groups, generally referred to the Nipmuck near the lake by the name of the location of the reservation. As Praying Indians, they were originally known as the Praying Indians of Chabanakongkomun. The reservation lands granted by Massachusetts were included in the town of Dudley, Massachusetts, and moved to a section of town later ceded and incorporated as the town of Webster, Massachusetts. As a result, they were known as the Dudley, Webster-Dudley, Dudley-Webster and Webster Indians. In 1996, the group adopted the formal name Webster/Dudley Band of the Chaubunagungamaug Nipmuck Indians. ==Location==

The Nipmuck homeland was referred to as Nippenet, 'freshwater (pond) place,' due to the large number of small ponds and lakes that dotted the region now covered by most of central Massachusetts and adjacent portions of north-eastern Connecticut and north-western Rhode Island. Within this region, the Chaubunagungamaug were concentrated in an area between Lake Chaubunagungamaug and the Maanexit River, corresponding to the towns of Dudley, Southbridge, Webster, Charlton, Oxford, Sutton, Douglas in southern Worcester County, Massachusetts and the town of Thompson in Windham County, Connecticut. The principal village of Chaubunagungamaug was located north of the lake in what is now Webster. The reserve lands were dwindled away and later surrounded by the town of Dudley. The reservation lands were moved back to the area around the lake which was later split off and incorporated as the town of Webster, where a few acres remain in the tribe's use as the reservation. ==Group Membership==

Membership in the Webster/Dudley Band of Chaubunagungamaug Nipmuck Indians is open to those who claim lineal descent to the "Dudley Indians" enumerated in the 1861 Report to the Governor and Council concerning the Indians of the Commonwealth (Earle Report) conducted by Indian Commissioner John Milton Earle or the 1890 Worcester Probate Court lists of beneficiaries to the funds from the reservation land sales. In 2004, the group had 354 members. ==Government==

Since 1996, the group has its own elected council. Sachems since 1981 • Sachem Edwin Wise Owl Morse, Sr., 1981–2010. • Sachem Edwin Red Fox Morse, Jr., 2010 - 2013. == Relationship with other Nipmuc ==

Although relations between the Webster/Dudley Band of the Chaubunagungamaug Nipmuck and the Hassanamisco Nipmuc (including Nipmuc Nation Chaubunagungamaug Nipmuc) were formerly strained, the close kinship ties and shared cultural pursuits have helped to heal old wounds. The two tribes are currently working together to revive the Nipmuck language, and make use of land identified by the East Quabbin Land trust as a possible site for a Nipmuck cultural centre. Nippamaug of all bands regularly attend the powwows, Indian fairs and social gatherings of the others. The Webster/Dudley Band of Nipmucs works with the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs to provide support for Native peoples. ==Notable Chaubunagungamaug Nipmuck==

Chiefs and Leaders • Sachem Willymachin 'Black James,' 17th century Chief. • Sachem James, son and heir of Willymachin and brother to Simon, 17th century Chief. • Sachem Edwin Wise Owl Morse, Sr., Chief from 1981 to 2010. Veterans • Joshua Ephraim, American Revolutionary War Veteran, 18th century. • Eleazer Pegan, American Revolutionary War Veteran, 18th century. • Joseph E. Bowman, Civil War Veteran, 19th century. • William H. Cady, Civil War Veteran, 19th century. • Joseph H. P. White, Civil War Veteran, 19th century. • James M. Pegan, Civil War Veteran, 19th century. • Theophilus D. Freeman, Civil War Veteran, 19th century. • Israel Henries, World War I Veteran, 20th century. • Earl Edward Henries, World War II draftee, 20th century. 'Last of the Nipmucks' The following gained notoriety as the so-called 'last of the' or 'last full-blooded' Nipmuck: • Angela Lynch, née Sprague, d. 1914. • Matilda Maria Henries (Matilda Henry), née Nichols, d. 1920. • Henry E. Dorus, d. sometime after 1936. • Payne Henries, d. sometime after 1930. == See also ==