Sachem Unkas (Uncas)

Before beginning the story of Sachem Uncas, also known as the Fox, for his abilities to outsmart all who wished him dead, I need to be sure that it is understood that the sources for some of this information was handed down by my Grandfather and other Elders and some was from other sources. All of these teachings by my Mohegan Elders, took place at our monthly meetings, while I was growing up in Uncasvillage. As computers, telephones or libraries did not exist in the time of Sachem Uncas, it would be nearly impossible to say that there is any source about him that is perfect. It is very disturbing to me and my family to read all of the  so called true stories about not only Sachem Uncas, but the Mohegan people as well, written by those who are neither Mohegan, nor even Native. How can one be an expert without living the story?
Sachem Tallfox

This is what I know:

Uncas, who was the first Sachem of the Mohegan People was a descendant of Royal Blood.

His mother was Mekunump and his father was Oweneco, they were both Pequots.

The signature of Sachem Uncas

Uncas was born near what is today Norwichtown, the historical Pequotvillage in Connecticut and lived in the time of 1588-1683?

Most people believe that American Natives chased their food source, mainly the Woolly Mammoth, through the Bering Straits Land Bridge and that our people then came across and down into what

are now the Great Lakes and the Hudson River Valley.

Our English name became known as the Monheags.
One of these groups of people became land diggers or farmers, however, most of the tribes in that area were warring tribes which over time, forced this group of Monheag People East.

After some time and many forced movements, this group of Monheags ended up along the Quinatucquet River, which later became known as the Connecticut River in what is now Connecticut.

The many years of battles and losing their farms, taught this tribe how to fight, so that when the Mashantuckets, Missituks, Niantic’s, like the Mohawks had so long ago, came to  destroy them and take their farms, the Monheags  were ready for them, waging war first on them, then the Dutch and then the French.

After this, the Dutch called them the Pequins,  then the French changed their name to Pequods

 and the English changed it to Pequot’s.

At the time when the English showed up on the Quinatucquet and Pequot Rivers, Sachem Wopigwooit was the leader of the tribe.

After his passing, the people then chose Sasscus as leader, instead of Uncas who should have rightfully been Sachem, hoping that he would force the English back into the ocean.

Sasscus like the Niantic’s and the Narragansett’s hated  the English and was at war with them constantly.

War chief Uncas, who was Sasscus's son in law, tried to reason  with Sasscus and the people, but they would not listen to him.

So Uncas took all who wished to go with him,  across the Pequot River, to the Cauchegan village,  gave them back their old name Monheags  and became their Sachem.



Cauchegan Rock is a sacred place to my Mohegan people.

When it became clear that Sachem Sasscus would not rest  until the English, Niantic’s, Narragansett’s and all of the  surrounding tribes were removed from the land, everyone

came together and completely eliminated the Pequots.

The English changed the name of our river to the Thames River and Sachem Uncas’s people eventually became  known as the Mohegan’s.

Indian Leap Falls in Norwich, the City of Kings, Connecticut.



Uncas Leap Falls

This is a true story of just what did happen at the Great Falls in the City of Kings, so very long ago.

Early one morning, Sachem Uncas was

at the Cauchegan Prayer Rock 

near what is now Montville, Connecticut, where he often prayed and held court.

The enemy from the North (Narragansetts of Canada) had a scout band of their tribe hiding in the woods waiting, for they knew that Uncas loved this place.

When Uncas arrived to pray, this leader from the North, sent some of his braves back to the village to advise his Chief (sagamore) of the their plan to attempt to capture Uncas.

This leader from the North, fearing the loss of his enemy Uncas and hoping to become a hero to his tribe, convinced his braves to leave their hiding places in the woods and try to capture Sachem Uncas.

The enemy from the North cut off all of the paths back to the City of the Kings, so Uncas went North.

Uncas and his men, ran until they came to the Great Falls, which was another prayer place for the Mohegans.

By now all of the Mohegan warriors were aware of the situation and were pursuing the Narragansetts, or the Enemy from the North as they were called.

These Warriors chased Uncas to the Falls, but not familiar with the local terrain or the area.

Sachem Uncas quickly leaped 40 foot over the falls, landing on what is now called the prayer altar and safety.

The Narragansetts were now trapped.

They tried to jump the falls as had Sachem Uncas,

but were not successful.
Shechaim Ohjieshan (Vulpsune) Tallfox my Grandfather!