Wequash Cooke

Wequash Cooke (also known as: Wequash Cook or Weekwash or Weekwosh or Wequashcuk) (died 1642) was allegedly one of the earliest Native American converts to Protestant Christianity, and as a sagamore he played an important role in the 1637 Pequot War in New England.

In 1637 Wequash and Uncas united with the colonists of New England under Captain John Mason to fight the Pequots and witnessed the destruction of the tribe's fort by Connecticut militia and Indian allies during the Mystic massacre in Mystic, Connecticut.

"[3] After the Pequot War, as local historians observed, that Wequash was filled with "respect for English power" and "it awakened a spirit of inquiry in regard to the Englishmen's God, which led him finally to a hearty and influential reception of Christianity".

After this experience, Wequash returned to local Native Americans as a missionary preaching about Christ for which he was persecuted by them.

[5] This was later used to justify the Massachusetts Bay Colony's existence as a mission in evangelizing to Native Americans.