“The Narraganset Chief, or the Adventures of a Wanderer”: Recovering An Indigenous Autobiography

Abstract

This article introduces The Narraganset Chief, a recently recovered autobiography written by a Native American mariner and published anonymously in 1832. Portions of the original narrative are woven together with archival research and historical context to present a series of vignettes that illuminate the lives and experiences of three generations of one family from 1760 to 1832. First-person accounts from the authors (one a member of the Narragansett Tribe) also explore the process of recovery, interpretation, and reconnection. Illustrations depict the intersections and disconnections of gender, power, sovereignty, and the sea.