Unalachtigo

Unalachtigo were a subgroup of the Wampanoag people who inhabited the southern portion of the Wampanoag territory in what is now southeastern Massachusetts and neighboring areas, including parts of Rhode Island, during the 17th century. The name derives from the Wampanoag language, generally translated as "people of the south" or "southern people."

They shared many cultural traits with the wider Wampanoag, including village-based social organization, matrilineal elements, agriculture (corn, beans, squash), fishing, and hunting. They lived in communities along rivers and coastal areas.

The Unalachtigo spoke a southern dialect of the Wampanoag language, part of the Algonquian language family. The dialects of the Wampanoag language formed a continuum from the south to the north.

In the 17th century, Unalachtigo communities encountered English colonists at Plymouth and other settlements. They participated in regional diplomacy, alliances, and sometimes conflict. Diseases, land loss, and colonial pressure contributed to major disruptions in their communities.

In modern times, the term Unalachtigo is used primarily in historical and linguistic contexts to describe this southern Wampanoag group and its dialect. Contemporary descendants are associated with the broader Wampanoag communities, such as the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, and other Wampanoag organizations.

See also: Wampanoag; Mashpee Wampanoag; Massachusett language; Algonquian languages.