The
first people to live along the Neponset River were the Massachusett
Native Americans.
The Neponset
River draws its name from the
Native American name for the River, "Nepunsep." Nepunsep
translates to "Harvest River."
Native
American Nations would camp along the river during the spring and summer. One of their
camp locations was at the site of the current Ventura playground in Dorchester.
During
the spring, there was a lot of food available in and
around the Nepunsep. The River was filled with spawning ocean
fish, otters and seals. What
does "spawning" mean? "Spawn" means "to lay eggs." So, when fish are
"spawning" in the river, it means they are laying their
eggs in the river. Shellfish were abundant in the estuary. What is
an "estuary"? Go
to the Neponset Estuary Page to find out!
Learn
more about the Massachusett
people.
