Magnus (d. 1676)

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Magnus (d. 1676)

Sunksquaw of the Narragansett tribe . Name variations: Matantuck; Quaiapan; Old Queen. Born in the area now known as Rhode Island, during the middle 1600s; died in 1676, near Warwick, Rhode Island; married Mriksah.

Magnus was one of the women warriors often misidentified as "Queen" by British colonists. A member of the powerful Narragansetts, Magnus led her tribe into battle during King Philip's (Metacom's) War, 1675–76. When the Narragansetts were defeated by Major Talbot's troops, Magnus was taken prisoner. Though other women and children were sold to West Indian slavers, Magnus was executed as a warrior with 90 of her tribe.

sources:

Allen, Paula Gunn. The Sacred Hoop: Recovering the Feminine in American Indian Traditions. Boston, MA: Beacon, 1986.

Dockstader, Frederick J. Great North American Indians: Profiles in Life and Leadership. NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1977.

Deborah Jones , Studio City, California

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