Long before the first European settlements in the Herring River Valley, a band of Wampanoag Indians lived in this area at the seasonal village of Comassakumakanit beside Megansett Waye, an important trading path linking Cape and the mainland. When the river was dredged to create the canal, logs found in the streambed marked the old crossing of Megansett Waye. Arrowheads found during construction of this trail indicate that the Wampanoag hunted deer and small game in this hilly area. They also relied on the nearby Herring Run as a direct source of food and to fertilize their crops of corn and beans, a practice later adapted by Pilgrim farmers. Staghorn Sumac, the low tree in the area, provided a refreshing drink made from its red berries, one of the many fruits important to the Indian diet.