History Focus for August 22

A short focus on a person or event associated with this day in History.

Hiacoomes -

On August 22, 1670, Hiacoomes, was ordained as a Christian minister. He became the first Native American preacher of Christianity.

In 1642 about twenty Puritans, including the Mayhew family, established an independent colony on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Thomas Mayhew, Jr. was the ordained pastor for the group. Sometime after the Puritans lived there, Hiacoomes came to Thomas Mayhew and expressed an interest in the Christian faith. Mayhew agreed, and Hiacoomes soon had his conversion experience.

Earlier Puritans insisted that the Indians give up all of their customs to become Christians. Mayhew did not require converts to abandon most of their customs. The Vineyard Indians were not forced to cut their hair, wear English clothes, give up customary mourning ceremonies, or attend church meetings. Traditional festivals were allowed to continue, although they may have acquired a Christian cast. Communal singing retained its traditional form and significance. In addition, Mayhew respected traditional leadership and property rights, paying rent to non-Christian Indian leaders and obtaining their consent to various projects involving the Christian Indians. Only the powwows, as the guardians of the old religious beliefs, had to be discredited,

The Mayhews' acceptance of native customs was emphasized by the leadership of Hiacoomes and other Indians in the missionary effort. Initially Hiacoomes was scorned by his people, but his influence rose when his family was untouched by epidemics that decimated the Wampanoags from 1643-1644. Hiacoomes converted several Indian leaders and belittled a group of powwows without suffering harm. Soon a cohesive community of Christianized Indians was established on the Vineyard, with daily religious needs filled entirely by native pastors, church elders, catechists, and musicians. The integrated and independent nature of the Christian Indian community, encouraged by Mayhew, provided a framework that allowed the community to survive into the next century.

Sources: Compton’s Encyclopedia | Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 96

© Phillip Bower