10/12/2026
Long before Beverly was Beverly, this land had a name, a history, and communities who called it home.
This Indigenous Peoples' Day, we recognize the Massachusett people, whose ancestral homeland includes the area historically known as Naumkeag, and whose history stretches back thousands of years before European settlement.
Naumkeag (pronounced Nom kek), meaning "fish weir," encompassed much of present-day Salem, Beverly, and the surrounding communities. The Bass River and its connection to Wenham Lake were part of a larger network of waterways, settlements, agricultural lands, and travel routes. These lands and waterways sustained generations of Native communities whose knowledge of the region shaped their daily lives, economies, and relationships with neighboring peoples.
Among the influential leaders of this region was Nanepashemet, a Massachusett sachem whose authority extended across northeastern Massachusetts. Following his death around 1619, his widow, remembered in English colonial records as the Squaw Sachem, which means basically "female sachem," continued to exercise political authority. Their son Wenepoykin, also known as Sagamore George, was closely associated with Naumkeag.
When Roger Conant and English settlers arrived in Naumkeag in 1626, they were not entering an unoccupied wilderness. They entered a landscape already shaped by generations of Native communities, with established settlements, political leadership, agricultural practices, and extensive networks of trade and diplomacy.
The arrival of Europeans brought profound changes to Naumkeag and the surrounding region. Epidemics devastated Native populations, while expanding colonial settlement threatened Indigenous lands, political independence, and traditional ways of life. Despite these pressures, Native communities continued to maintain their identities, relationships, and cultural traditions.
Beverly's history is often told beginning with English settlement in 1626 or its separation from Salem in 1668. Both are important dates, but neither represents its beginning.
The history of the Massachusett people extends far beyond the boundaries of present-day Beverly. As English settlement expanded across eastern Massachusetts, Native communities faced displacement and increasing colonial restrictions. In 1657, Ponkapoag, in present-day Canton, was established as a Praying Indian town, becoming an important part of the history of the Neponset Band of the Massachusett people.
Today, the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag continues to preserve and share its history, including the stories, traditions, and cultural heritage of the Neponset Band. Their continued presence reminds us that Native history is not confined to the centuries before European settlement, but remains an important part of the region's present and future.
This Indigenous Peoples' Day, we encourage our community to learn directly from the Massachusett people and listen to the voices who continue to share the history of their ancestral homelands.
Learn more about the history of the Neponset Band from the Massachusett Tribe:
https://massachusetttribe.org/the-history-of-the-neponset
📷: Map of Massachusetts with tribal lands, taken from the Massachusett's website.
