[562] Some of the historical sources and the example of other Algonquian groups suggest that this power varied in its nature from one powow to another, depending upon the kind of spirit which gave it, thus the abilities of powows would vary accordingly as to what sorts of things they were able to do. This in turn was displayed in various individualized types of tricks.
[563] Elliot “The Day Breaking—,” pp. 19-20; Elliot and Mayhew, p. 186. As far as can be ascertained, the role of the powow was not formally hereditary. In practice the office probably remained closely tied to certain families, if only because association and heredity stimulated the appropriate dreams in the offspring of those who were powows.
AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF
ETHNOGRAPHIC MATERIALS FOR THE
PLYMOUTH AREA
1. Allen, Z. NATIVE INDIANS OF AMERICA (Providence, 1881).
Quotes standard primary sources and portrays the Indian as the “first settler” in the New World; nothing new is presented in the way of ethnographic data.
2. Altham, Emmanuel, “Emmanuel Altham to Sir Edward Altham, March 1623/1624; Emmanuel Altham to James Sherley, May, 1624,” letters in James, THREE VISITORS, etc.
Relevant information not extensive; concerns general appearance, polygyny, distribution of Indian settlements in Plymouth region, Massasoit, and Indian guests and their dances on the occasion of Bradford’s wedding.
3. Anonymous, “A Description of Mashpee,” MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS, Series 2, Vol. III, 1846.
A 1767 account of general census and welfare information.
4. Anonymous, “Saconet Indians,” MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS, Series 1, Vol. X, 1809.