Epenow

Epenow (also spelled Epanow) was a Nauset from Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts who became an early symbol of resistance to English explorers and slavers in the early 17th century. Captured by an English expedition, he was taken to England, but was returned on a subsequent voyage to serve as interpreter. He then made his escape, and warned others to be wary of the English.

By 1610 Native Americans on display in England was such a common event that Shakespeare makes a joke of it in The Tempest. The following year Shakespeare's friend, Henry Wriothesley, who had already cosponsored George Weymouth's expedition in 1605, underwrote another one under Captain Edward Harlow, although it was ostensibly to discover an island around Cape Cod.

Capt. Harlow seized three Native Americans from Monhegan Island, Maine: Pechmo, Monopet, and Pekenimne. Pechmo, leapt overboard and escaped. He brought back friends who set up a hail of arrows while they cut away a boat from the stern of the vessel. Three English seamen were wounded by arrows. When they anchored at the Ile of Nohono (Nantucket), Harlow kidnapped Sakaweston (who was to live for many years in England before fighting in the wars of Bohemia.) Natives in canoes again attacked the English until they were driven off with guns. The English then proceeded to Capawe (Capawack or Martha's Vineyard) where they took two more, including the sachem Epenow.Altogether there were said to be twenty-nine Native Americans aboard Harlow's slaver when it arrived in England.

The captives had been brought to London to sell as slaves in Spain, however Harlow found that the Spanish considered Native American slaves to be "unapt for their uses."So instead, Epenow became a "wonder", a spectacle on constant public display in London. Sir Ferdinando Gorges wrote that when he met him, Epenow "had learned so much English as to bid those that wondered him 'Welcome! Welcome!'

Epenow's display in London said to be inspiration of the "strange indian" mentioned by Shakespeare in Henry VIII:

"What should you do, but knock 'em down by the dozens? Is this Moorfields to muster in? or have we some strange Indian with the great tool come to court, the women so besiege us? Bless me, what a fry of fornication is at door! On my Christian conscience, this one christening will beget a thousand; here will be father, godfather, and all together."

Gorges wrote that he obtained Epenow from Captain Henry Harley, although he denied knowing how Harley got him, except that Gorges was told that "he had been shewed in London for a wonder." Gorges described Epenow as both "of a goodly stature, strong and well proportioned" as well as "a goodly man, of a brave aspect, stout, sober in his demeanor."

Acquired by Gorges, Epenow was housed with another Native American captive, Assacumet, who had been captured by Captain George Weymouth in 1605 in Maine, and with whom he could communicate with some initial difficulty. With Assacumet's help, Epenow eventually became quite fluent in English.

Gorges seems to have thought that his failure to obtain the loyalty of the Natives kidnapped by Weymouth was owing to not having kept them in his custody long enough. Epenow he kept for three years.

Hatching an escape plot, Epenow convinced his English captors of a gold mine on Martha’s Vineyard. In 1614 Gorges consulted with Wriothesley and determined to send Epenow back with Captain Hobson, who had been with Harlow in 1611 when Epenow was kidnapped. Believing Epenow's fabrication, Gorges commissioned a voyage to Martha's Vineyard in 1614 under Captain Nicholas Hobson, accompanied by Epenow as a guide, translator, and pilot. He persuaded Hobson to stake £100 of his own money on the adventure. Gorges also sent two additional Natives he had in captivity, Assacomet (from Weymouth's expedition) and Wanape, who was from southern New England (and sent to Gorges via the Isle of Wight).

Wanape died soon after arriving in the New World. Upon arriving to Epenow's native island, the ship was peacefully greeted by a company of Wampanoags, including some of Epenow's brothers and cousins. The principal inhabitants (including relatives of Epenow) came on board. Captain Hobson entertained the visitors to his ship, and invited them to return the next morning with trade goods. They promised to come again in the morning to trade. Not trusting Epenow, Hobson made sure he was accompanied at all times by three guards, and clothed him with long garments that could be easily grabbed. But Epenow had secretly let them know that he was held captive, and the next morning they came with twenty canoes.

The captain, his invitations ignored, called Epenow to come out from the forecastle to translate. Epenow called in English for his friends to come aboard, but then lunged to jump overboard. Hobson's men managed to grab him, but Epenow being "a strong and heavy man" managed to dive overboard under cover of arrows shot from the canoes. Both sides took heavy casualties; Hobson's musketeers killed and wounded some, and Hobson and many of his crew were injured in the battle. Epenow escaped under a hail of arrows which wounded Hobson and some of the crew. They returned to England empty handed. Gorges ends the tale by lamenting the incompetence of Hobson's men.

Epenow became an important source of anti-English resistance when the Plymouth colonists arrived six years later, and there is evidence that he became a sachem.

Epenow met with visiting Englishman Captain Thomas Dermer in 1619 in a peaceful meeting on Martha's Vineyard, and laughed as he told the story of his escape from captivity. But on Dermer's second visit in 1620, shortly before the arrival of the Mayflower, Epenow's warriors attacked the captain and his men, and took captive his traveling companion, the celebrated Squanto, before turning him over to Massasoit (the leading Wampanoag sachem). Some of Epenow's company were slain, but all but one of Dermer's crew were killed, and Dermer, severely wounded with fourteen wounds, escaped to Virginia where he died soon afterward.

Native Canadian actor Eric Schweig portrayed Epenow in Disney's 1994 live action adventure drama film Squanto: A Warrior's Tale.