From 1580 to 1670 a giant of a man, the Indian Chief, Passaconaway lived in the Granite State. In 1627 he established the Penacook Confederacy of Indian tribes. He was well-received by indigenous people and settlers alike. He was a man of peace. Not so his grandson Kancamaugus*, (born circa 1640 d. 1692) who held white settlers in disregard. This disdain, and his early allegiances to certain Maine Indian Tribes, led to many attacks on the coastal settlements of the English settlers, including his famous 1689 attack on Dover.

With Memorial Day weekend upon us, summer in New Hampshire begins. Living in the Mount Washington Valley for my entire life I have come to know that for the next three months visitors from all over will be visiting our state. The droves of tourist will spend money, swim, spend money, fish, spend money, hike, spend money, camp and hopefully relax (while spending their money).

Somewhere around July 4th, many of us natives will become restless and will need to control ourselves as we begin to experience “tourist fatigue.” However, there is no doubt in my mind that right around the middle of summer, one of us will demonstrate some sort of inappropriate response when some flatlander, calling the KancaMAUGus highway the KancaMANGgus highway, sets us off.

Now please don’t misunderstand me, I can understand struggling with the proper sounding of this seemingly difficult name - what is bothersome to me is the snide remarks and condescending smirks that many demonstrate when one of us tries to teach them the proper pronunciation of the warrior Chief, Kancamagus’ name. (If a person is able to say “August” they can say Kancamaugus.)

Every time I hear the nasally twang of the irritating accented “MANG”, I cringe. With each passing year the soft and pleasing sound of this name is drowned out by this ever-increasing utterance from an ever increasing invasion of a madding crowd.

It is as though the resistant warrior of three centuries ago is being punished for his bloody butchery of the newcomers of his day, whenever the newcomers of the present day butcher his name. It is as though the are chanting

A Vengeful Incantation – “KancaMANGus”

Chief Passaconaway’s grandson was the warrior KancaMAUGUS

Upon the Chief’s passing at 90 years, his grandson came upon us.

Attacks on white settlers established fame

caused fear and trembling when spoke his name.

but long harsh vengeance does remain

as new settlers now speak with twang

and mangle his legend by uttering MANG.

Copyright 2007, Mark Hounsell

* Accepted spellings are Kancamaugus and Kancamagus. There is no second “N” to sound out.