Sachem

Sachem and sagamores are terms for North American Indian chiefs. It is particularly used in Algonquian-speaking tribes of the Northeastern Woodlands.^[1] The sachem was the highest level of chiefs. The sagamore was a lower-ranking chief.^[2] Examples of sachems include Massasoit, Metacom, Uncas and Daniel Nimham. Little Turtle is an example of a sagamore.

Statue of Daniel Nimham, a sachem of the Wappinger.

Cognate words

Family	Language	Word	Notes
Eastern Algonquian	Proto-Eastern Algonquian	*sākimāw	theoretical reconstruction
	Narragansett	sâchim	anglicized as sachem[3]
	Lenape	sakima	derived from earlier form sakimaw[4]
	Eastern Abnaki	sakəma	anglicized as sagamore[3]
	Mi'kmaq	saqamaw	Ninigret
	Malecite-Passamaquoddy	sakom	[5]
	Western Abnaki	sôgmô	[6]
	Wangunk	sequin	[7]
Central Algonquian	Proto-Central Algonquian	*hākimāw	theoretical reconstruction
	Anishinaabe	ogimaa	[8]
	Algonquin	ogimà	[9]
	Ottawa	gimaa	[10]
	Potawatomi	wgema	anglicised as Ogema
	Eastern Swampy Cree	okimâw	[11]
	Northern East Cree	uchimaa	[12]
	Southern East Cree	uchimaa	[13]
	Naskapi	iiyuuchimaaw	[14]