Description
The Wappinger were an Eastern Algonquian Munsee-speaking Native American people from what is now southern New York and western Connecticut. At the time of first contact in the 17th century they were primarily based in what is now Dutchess County, New York. By 1609, the Wappingers' earliest recorded European contact, their settlements included camps along the major rivers between the Hudson and Housatonic, with larger villages located at the river mouths.
Language
Algonquian Munsee
Culture
The Wappinger were semisedentary, moving seasonally between fixed sites as food resources required. They depended largely on corn (maize), cultivated by women, for their subsistence; this was supplemented by hunting, fishing, and collecting wild plant foods. The tribes were divided into bands, each governed by a sachem (chief) and a council of elders. The Wappinger had summer and winter camps. As agriculturists, they cultivated maize, beans, and various species of squash. They also hunted game, fished the rivers and streams, collected shellfish, and gathered fruits, flowers, seeds, roots, and nuts.