What's in a Name?

Before you know it, it'll be back to school again.  Though the summer sun may make it hard to think about getting on the school bus, it is not too early to think about the elementary and middle schools which make up the Sachem Central School District.  

While some of the schools are simply named by their location, including Gatelot, Grundy, Lynwood and Waverly Elementary Schools, and Sachem High Schools East and North, the others have names deeply rooted in Native American culture and history.  An insight into this important history is not only interesting, but key to Sachem pride.

The name Sachem itself, for instance, means chief or high official.  In Native American culture, this name is closely related to the Algonquian and Iroquois leaders. Decreeing the district name such a word is therefore significant of the desire to adhere to the district's Mission Statement which is to, "graduate students who will be motivated, respectful, life-long learners, well prepared to succeed and contribute to their society."

Examining each Sachem elementary and middle school name will also promote insight into Sachem's history as a district:

Cayuga: The Cayuga's make up Cayuga Nation, and are known as the People of the Great Swamp.  Cayuga children play, hunt and help their elders.  They had have their own language, also called Cayuga, and it is still spoken today, mostly in Ontario Canada, and partially in the United States where most of the remaining Cayuga's live.  Though the language has been on the decline, these Native Americans are working to keep it alive along with their history. Building was built in 1969.

Chippewa: The name Chippewa has two meanings in history.  Most literally, the name comes from an Algonquian word which references the Chippewa's unique "puckered" moccasin style.  In their own language, the people of this tribe called themselves Anishinabe, meaning original person.  Though an original language does exist, most Chippewa's speak English.  The Chippewa's were mostly farmers, but ate different foods than their fellow Chippewa's based on where they lived.  As of 2009, there were about 200,000 Chippewa's living in their traditional territories.

Hiawatha: Hiawatha was a Native American leader who founded the Iroquois confederacy, an association of several tribes.  His name means he makes rivers, and he worked his whole life as a peacemaker.  He believed in peace and the unification of the Iroquois people.  The popular poem Song of Hiawatha, by Henry W. Longfellow, tells his story, though differences exist in the poem concerning Hiawatha's tribe and location. Building opened in 1964.

Merrimac: The Pennacook were a group of Native Americans of the Algonquin branch.  Since their tribe was centered in the Merrimack River Valley, and most of their villages were located there, the tribe also became known as the Merrimac.  Though there were originally as many as 12,000 Merrimac's and 30 villages, smallpox began along the Merrimack River and decreased the population.  Influenza coupled with diphtheria brought the population of Merrimac's down to only a fraction of what it once was.  By 1726, the tribe was gone. Building was built in 1969.

Nokomis: According to Native American mythology, Nokomis is Mother Earth.  Her name literally means grandmother, and she was said to be grandmother of Hiawatha.  According to the poem, From the full moon fell Nokomis/Fell the beautiful Nokomis, she bears a daughter, Wenonah.  When Wenonah dies in childbirth, Nokomis raises Hiawatha. It seems the founders of Sachem read this poem and utilized it all around, sprinkling key Native American names across the Sachem community in the 1950s. Building was built in 1959.

Sagamore: Sagamore is the word used for the chief amongst the Algonquins.  Equal to the term Sachem, a Sagamore was a high honor and considered to be great among Native Americans.  Many references to the term exist in popular culture, including a character known as The Sagamore in James Fenimore Cooper's novel, The Last of the Mohicans.

Samoset: Samoset, whose name means, He Who Walks Over Much, was the first Native American to greet the Pilgrims when they arrived at Plymouth.  Since he was an English speaker, he is reported to have been the first to say, "Welcome!  Welcome Englishmen!"  He introduced the Pilgrims to a variety of new and interesting things and traded and sold them land.  Nothing more is known of him after 1653, as this was his last recorded sale of land.

Seneca:  The Seneca is the largest of the five tribes making up the Iroquois League.  They were great conquerors, highly skilled at war, and very fierce.  As a result of their great advancements in war, politics and engineering, the Seneca tribes are of the most sophisticated Native American tribes. Building was built in 1970.

Sequoya: Sequoya was the creator of a writing system for his people, the Cherokee.  He was born in in 1776 and worked with silver in his early life.  A desire to sign his name to his work led to the idea to create a writing system.  His alphabet, Talking Leaves, was 85 letters, and was used to communicate by the Cherokee for a very long time.  He was awarded various literary medals and prizes as a result. Building was erected in 2004.

Tamarac: The Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge is historically a prized hunting, fishing, ricing, and maple sugaring area for Indian tribes. The northern half of Tamarac lies within the original White Earth Chippewa Indian Reservation Boundary. Tribal members retain wild rice harvest and trapping privileges on the Refuge.  Located in Becker County, Minn., the refuge prides itself on its use as a refuge for both Native Americans and European settlers. Building was built in 1971.

Tecumseh: Tecumseh was a Native American leader of the Shawnee tribe.  Though he was forced into war at times, he made an effort to maintain peace.  He is often honored in modern times in film and novel, and has a memorial at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Wenonah: The name Wenonah refers to the firstborn daughter of any family, Native American, or not.  She is said to have been the child of Chief Wapasha, leader of the band of Dakotah that called this region home when settlers first arrived in the 1850's.  She is also the mythological daughter of Nokomis, and mother of Hiawatha. Building was built in 1967.

A brief history of the Native American origins of some of the schools in Sachem is important to understanding the area.  This September when students go back to school, they can do so with knowledge of the history surrounding them. Patrons of the community should always recognize how important the Sachem name is, but taking pride in the schools that make up the district is important as well.