James Printer

Wawaus, also known as "James Printer", was a Nipmuc leader from Hassanamesit (today Grafton, Massachusetts), who experienced the incorporation and marginalization of his people in colonial Massachusetts. He is most commonly known for his work at the first printing press in the American colonies, yet like many Indigenous people during the 17th century in New England, was mistreated, abused, arrested, threatened, falsely imprisoned, and forced into exile on Deer Island in the Boston Harbor by the settlers. He helped produce the first Indian Bibles in the Massachusett language (an Algonquin language), which were used in part by the colonists for the cultural assimilation of Native Americans. He also set the type for books including the famous Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson.

Early life Little is known of Wawaus's early years. He was born at Hassanamesit near what is now Grafton, Massachusetts, to a Nimuc named Naoas. He worked as an apprentice to Samuel Green at his printing press.

While other multilingual Native Americans contributed to the enormous project, Printer was said to have been the most accomplished interpreter who did the most work of any of the translators who created the Massachusett translation of the Bible.

In addition to the Indian Bible, Printer helped to produce Indian Primers and two books of Psalms. Involved in the typesetting of the Cambridge editions of Mary Rowlandson's famous captivity narrative, A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, in which he appears as a minor character during Rowlandson's ransom negotiations.

Printer worked as a typesetter for 16 years before the outbreak of King Philip's War.

The second letter is known to have been written by Printer during King Philip's War

Later life After King Philip's War, Wawaus went back to Cambridge to work as a printer again.