Massasoit was born in the village of Pokanoket near present-day 
Bristol, Rhode Island, around 1590.  Also known as Ousamequin, or 
"yellow feather," he was a chief of the Wampanoag tribe.  Massasoit 
signed a peace treaty with the Pilgrims on March 22,1621.  It was an 
agreement that was never broken, and the two groups enjoyed a 
peaceful coexistence.  His friendship with the settlers helped keep 
the Wampanoags neutral in the Pequot War of 1636.  Massasoit 
remained an ally of the Pilgrims until his death in 1661.