DOCSLIB.ORG

Virginia Indians; Powhatan, Pocahontas, and European Contact

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Virginia Indians; Powhatan, Pocahontas, and European Contact Virginia Indians; Powhatan, Pocahontas, and European Contact HistoryConnects is made possible by the Hugh V. White Jr. Outreach Education Fund Table of Contents Virginia Indians; Powhatan, Pocahontas, and European Contact Teacher Guide Introduction/Program Description ............................................................. 3 Lesson Plan ................................................................................................. 4-7 Historical Background................................................................................ 8-9 Activities: Pre Lesson Activity: The Historical Record............................................ 10-12 During Lesson Activity: Vocab Sheet........................................................... 13 Post Lesson Activity: Pocahontas................................................................. 14 Suggested Review Questions......................................................................... 15 Student Worksheets Word Search.................................................................................................. 16 Algonquian Language Worksheet........................................................... 17-18 Selected Images/Sources Map of Virginia............................................................................................. 20 Images of Pocahontas............................................................................... 21-23 2 Introduction Thank you for showing interest in a HistoryConnects program from the Virginia Historical Society. We are really excited for the opportunity to share some of the treasures from the VHS with you and your group. As we prepare for the presentation, we would like to share some additional information, to make sure that the program meets your expectations. The program uses primary sources and replica artifacts while a contextual background history for the students. It is designed to work as either a preview or a review of the topic. If there are particular historical aspects regarding the Powhatan Indians that you would like to be the focus of the presentation, please let us know and we will do our best to make sure the educator highlights these areas more intensely during your presentation. We are able to tailor each presentation to your needs. This PDF packet of suggested pre- and post-program activities and teaching extensions is fully intended for use at your discretion. The program is designed as a standalone activity, but could easily fit into a larger unit. Please familiarize yourself with the materials and discuss them with your class. Please be prepared to facilitate by calling on students yourself during the lesson. Explain to students that this is an interactive medium and encourage them to ask questions. This will be an inquiry-based exploration. Students are sometimes initially shy about responding to questions during distance learning lessons. Even when students are not shy, these programs work more smoothly when the students are called on by their teachers. Have students raise their hands to be called on. If possible, have the students stand when asking or answering a question. We understand that not all questions will be able to be answered during our time together. We have established [email protected] as an outlet for teachers and students to continue our historical conversation after the program has ended. We encourage you to share photos and/or comments about your HistoryConnects experience and tag us in your posts/tweets. Here are some ways you can connect with us: @VAHistorical We ask teachers, after the program, to please fill out the evaluation form emailed to you. HistoryConnects is made possible by the Hugh V. White Jr. Outreach Education Fund. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or 804-342-9689. We are looking forward to this program with your group. Program Description Virginia Indians; Powhatan, Pocahontas, and European Contact Much of what historians now know about the Indians we call "the Powhatans" is derived from English sources, as the Powhatans had no written language. The Algonquian speaking Powhatans provide an example of Eastern Woodland Indian life and culture. Using primary sources as well as replica artifacts created by Mattaponi Indians, students will learn about what life was like in Virginia before the first English settlers made it their home. Students will identify the various natural resources used by Native American men, women, and children to make their tools and clothing. Students will also be engaged in a discussion about Pocahontas and the myths associated with her life. 3 Lesson Plan Topic: Virginia Indians; Powhatan, Pocahontas, and European Contact Content Provider: HistoryConnects with Virginia Historical Society Topic-Specific Central Question: What was life like for Powhatan Indians in Colonial Virginia? Maximum number of participants: none, HistoryConnects suggests 30 students Objectives: Students will: 1. Understand the historical origins of the Powhatan Indians 2. Examine the VHS’ collection of historical artifacts to understand Indian culture 3. Make inferences about how the Indians related to the climate and their environment throughout daily life 4. Use the artifacts to make inferences about the climate of Virginia’s Coastal Plain region 5. Identify the major Indian language groups in Virginia 6. Understand interactions between English settlers and Native peoples 7. Draw comparisons between historical maps and modern maps 8. Examine historical prints and identify elements of Powhatan life 9. Assess images of Pocahontas and contrast her story with popular myth and depictions Materials Provided: 1. Lesson Plan catered to Virginia Standards 2. Historical background for teachers 3. Pre, During, and Post Activities 4. Student worksheets Introduction: Before the HistoryConnects lesson begins, we ask that teachers complete the "Pre Lesson Activity" provided in the lesson packet. The activity addresses primary sources and how students can identify them. It plays into the broader theme of this lesson, and ehances the students' experiences during. 4 Lesson Plan 1. The classroom teacher will distribute the vocab note sheet to be used during the lesson. The HistoryConnects istructor will begin with an introduction to Powhatan Indians’ historical origins focusing on the following topics a. Archeology b. Movement of Native peoples to Virginia c. Survival skills and language d. Emergence of Powhatan 2. Instructor will allow students to examine replica artifacts as examples of life and culture for Eastern Woodland Indians. 3. The instructor will discuss European settlement in America in the 16th and 17th Century a. Roanoke- John White b. Jamestown 4. The instructor will then help students compare several John White water colors a. Discuss images portrayed: What can students identify? What do they recognize? b. Why would White have painted them in this way? c. What do the images reveal? 5. The instructor will help students examine and compare John Smith's famous map to current maps of today. a. Werowocomo b. What do students notice about the map? 6. Cultural Exchange a. Canoe at the VHS demonstrates ways in which Virginia Indians embraced the culture of European settlers for their own benefit b. How could Pocahontas also be an example of this? 7. The students will then view several images of Pocahontas created over the last 400 years and discuss some of the myths that surround her. a. Varying depictions of her in paintings and stories b. Why does her myth matter? 8. Question and answer period Conclusion: After HistoryConnects’ lesson, the classroom teacher should choose one of the provided "post" activties to increase retention, and deepen understandings of broader implications of the lesson. Evaluation: We recommend teachers include some of our suggested review questions on exams and integrate the primary sources we have provided and discussed into their larger unit plan. Differentiated Instruction: The distance learner appeals to a variety of different learners. The visual and audio components are exciting for students who aren’t always enthusiastic in the traditional classroom setting. Students are actively involved in a question and answer style lesson, which gives many otherwise quiet students an opportunity to engage with the distant educator. We also use a variety of historical artifacts that encourage students to engage with the past in more authentic way. We have included a activities for different levels of cognition to help students use the material after the distance lesson is completed. 5 Lesson Plan Virginia Standards of Learning Addressed: VS2.2 The student will compare the lives and contributions of three American Indian cultures of the past and present, with emphasis on the Powhatan of the Eastern Woodlands, the Lakota of the Plains, and the Pueblo peoples of the Southwest. VS2.3 The student will identify and compare changes in community life over time in terms of buildings, jobs, transportation, and population. VS2.4 The student will develop map skills by c) locating the regions of the Powhatan, Lakota, and Pueblo Indians on United States maps; d) understanding the relationship between the environment and the culture of the Powhatan, Lakota, and Pueblo Indians. VS2.12 The student will understand that the people of Virginia b) have diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions, make contributions to their communities, and are united as Americans by common principles. VS4.2
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Nanjemoy and Mattawoman Creek Watersheds
    Defining the Indigenous Cultural Landscape for The Nanjemoy and Mattawoman Creek Watersheds Prepared By: Scott M. Strickland Virginia R. Busby Julia A. King With Contributions From: Francis Gray • Diana Harley • Mervin Savoy • Piscataway Conoy Tribe of Maryland Mark Tayac • Piscataway Indian Nation Joan Watson • Piscataway Conoy Confederacy and Subtribes Rico Newman • Barry Wilson • Choptico Band of Piscataway Indians Hope Butler • Cedarville Band of Piscataway Indians Prepared For: The National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Annapolis, Maryland St. Mary’s College of Maryland St. Mary’s City, Maryland November 2015 ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this project was to identify and represent the Indigenous Cultural Landscape for the Nanjemoy and Mattawoman creek watersheds on the north shore of the Potomac River in Charles and Prince George’s counties, Maryland. The project was undertaken as an initiative of the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay office, which supports and manages the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. One of the goals of the Captain John Smith Trail is to interpret Native life in the Middle Atlantic in the early years of colonization by Europeans. The Indigenous Cultural Landscape (ICL) concept, developed as an important tool for identifying Native landscapes, has been incorporated into the Smith Trail’s Comprehensive Management Plan in an effort to identify Native communities along the trail as they existed in the early17th century and as they exist today. Identifying ICLs along the Smith Trail serves land and cultural conservation, education, historic preservation, and economic development goals. Identifying ICLs empowers descendant indigenous communities to participate fully in achieving these goals.
    [Show full text]
  • Bladensburg Prehistoric Background
    Environmental Background and Native American Context for Bladensburg and the Anacostia River Carol A. Ebright (April 2011) Environmental Setting Bladensburg lies along the east bank of the Anacostia River at the confluence of the Northeast Branch and Northwest Branch of this stream. Formerly known as the East Branch of the Potomac River, the Anacostia River is the northernmost tidal tributary of the Potomac River. The Anacostia River has incised a pronounced valley into the Glen Burnie Rolling Uplands, within the embayed section of the Western Shore Coastal Plain physiographic province (Reger and Cleaves 2008). Quaternary and Tertiary stream terraces, and adjoining uplands provided well drained living surfaces for humans during prehistoric and historic times. The uplands rise as much as 300 feet above the water. The Anacostia River drainage system flows southwestward, roughly parallel to the Fall Line, entering the Potomac River on the east side of Washington, within the District of Columbia boundaries (Figure 1). Thin Coastal Plain strata meet the Piedmont bedrock at the Fall Line, approximately at Rock Creek in the District of Columbia, but thicken to more than 1,000 feet on the east side of the Anacostia River (Froelich and Hack 1975). Terraces of Quaternary age are well-developed in the Bladensburg vicinity (Glaser 2003), occurring under Kenilworth Avenue and Baltimore Avenue. The main stem of the Anacostia River lies in the Coastal Plain, but its Northwest Branch headwaters penetrate the inter-fingered boundary of the Piedmont province, and provided ready access to the lithic resources of the heavily metamorphosed interior foothills to the west.
    [Show full text]
  • How Cultural Factors Hastened the Population Decline of the Powhatan Indians
    Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Scholars Compass Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2008 How Cultural Factors Hastened the Population Decline of the Powhatan Indians Julia Ruth Beckley Virginia Commonwealth University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd Part of the History Commons © The Author Downloaded from https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/1553 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact [email protected]. © Julia Ruth Beckley, 2008 All Rights Reserved HOW CULTURAL FACTORS HASTENED THE POPULATION DECLINE OF THE POWHATAN INDIANS (1607-1699) A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History at Virginia Commonwealth University. by JULIA RUTH BECKLEY Master of Arts in History, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2008 Bachelor of Arts in History, Christopher Newport University, 2003 Director: DR. SARAH MEACHAM PROFESSOR OF HISTORY, DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY Director: DR. JOHN KNEEBONE PROFESSOR OF HISTORY, DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY Director: DR. JOSHUA ECKHARDT PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH, DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia May 2008 Table of Contents Page Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1 2 ENGLISH CULTURAL FACTORS THAT
    [Show full text]
  • Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections Vol
    SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 96, NO. 4, PL. 1 tiutniiimniimwiuiiii Trade Beads Found at Leedstown, Natural Size SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOLUME 96. NUMBER 4 INDIAN SITES BELOW THE FALLS OF THE RAPPAHANNOCK, VIRGINIA (With 21 Plates) BY DAVID I. BUSHNELL, JR. (Publication 3441) CITY OF WASHINGTON PUBLISHED BY THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION SEPTEMBER 15, 1937 ^t)t Boxb (jBaliimore (prttfe DAI.TIMORE. MD., C. S. A. CONTENTS Page Introduction I Discovery of the Rappahannock 2 Acts relating to the Indians passed by the General Assembly during the second half of the seventeenth century 4 Movement of tribes indicated by names on the Augustine Herrman map, 1673 10 Sites of ancient settlements 15 Pissaseck 16 Pottery 21 Soapstone 25 Cache of trade beads 27 Discovery of the beads 30 Kerahocak 35 Nandtanghtacund 36 Portobago Village, 1686 39 Material from site of Nandtanghtacund 42 Pottery 43 Soapstone 50 Above Port Tobago Bay 51 Left bank of the Rappahannock above Port Tobago Bay 52 At mouth of Millbank Creek 55 Checopissowa 56 Taliaferro Mount 57 " Doogs Indian " 58 Opposite the mouth of Hough Creek 60 Cuttatawomen 60 Sockbeck 62 Conclusions suggested by certain specimens 63 . ILLUSTRATIONS PLATES Page 1. Trade beads found at Leedstown (Frontispiece) 2. North over the Rappahannock showing Leedstown and the site of Pissaseck 18 3. Specimens from site of Pissaseck 18 4. Specimens from site of Pissaseck 18 5. Specimens from site of Pissaseck 18 6. Specimens from site of Pissaseck 26 7. Specimens from site of Pissaseck 26 8. Specimens from site of Pissaseck 26 9. I. Specimens from site of Pissaseck.
    [Show full text]
  • For Sale | 1,410± Acres Powhatan County, Va
    FOR SALE | 1,410± ACRES HOBSON TRACT POWHATAN COUNTY, VA POWHATAN, VA 23139 Price: $2,200,000 Winchester 15 301 Leesburg 495 LATITUDE & LONGITUDE Washington Arlington Front Royal 66 Chantilly Falls Church “37.494734, -78.026835” Fairfax Alexandria Springeld 13 Manassas 113 Warrenton Dale City Waldorf 33 81 Shenandoah 301 Culpeper 17 Harrisonburg Staord 50 29 Fredericksburg King George Staunton 15 Spotsylvania Waynesboro Charlottesville 1 Chinoteague 220 95 Features 64 360 Lexington 64 Accomac Short Pump 295 Mechanicsville 13 288 Richmond 17 3± MILES of frontage on Appomattox River. 60 New Kent 81 Lynchburg Farmville Hopewell from Richmond. 460 Williamsburg <45 MINUTES Roanoke 360 Colonial Heights Blacksburg Petersburg 64 460 Newprt News EXCELLENT DEER AND TURKEY HUNTING. 15 Hampton Wytheville Chatham 258 85 Virginia 220 95 Beach BEAVER SWAMPS along river have provided great 360 Norfolk 29 460 Portsmouth Emporia Suolk Chesapeake duck hunting. Martinsville South Boston South Hill 58 Danville 58 ACCESS FROM BRACKETTS BEND ROAD via deeded 50’ easement or from Hwy 13 via Prescriptive easement. EXCELLENT INTERNAL ACCESS throughout property. 6± MILES OF INTERNAL ROADS. SIGNIFICANT MERCHANTABLE timber value in mature hardwoods. CONTACT BROKER FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS. Contacts Randy Cosby 804-433-1819 MAIN OFFICE ADDRESS: 4198 Cox Road, Suite 200 | Glen Allen, VA 23060 [email protected] MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 71150 | Richmond, VA 23255 T 804-326-LAND (5263) | F 804-346-5901 COMMONWEALTHLAND.COM Joe Buhrman 804-433-1811 Commonwealth Land represents the Owner of this property. Information contained herein, is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. [email protected] Hobson Tract Powhatan County, Virginia, AC +/- Randy Cosby 804-433-1819 [email protected] Joe Buhrman 804-433-1811 [email protected] Old Pipeline River / Creek Primary Road Road / Trail Pond / Tank Boundary Buckingham The information contained herein was obtained from sources Bailey Foster deemed to be reliable.
    [Show full text]
  • Defining the Greater York River Indigenous Cultural Landscape
    Defining the Greater York River Indigenous Cultural Landscape Prepared by: Scott M. Strickland Julia A. King Martha McCartney with contributions from: The Pamunkey Indian Tribe The Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe The Mattaponi Indian Tribe Prepared for: The National Park Service Chesapeake Bay & Colonial National Historical Park The Chesapeake Conservancy Annapolis, Maryland The Pamunkey Indian Tribe Pamunkey Reservation, King William, Virginia The Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe Adamstown, King William, Virginia The Mattaponi Indian Tribe Mattaponi Reservation, King William, Virginia St. Mary’s College of Maryland St. Mary’s City, Maryland October 2019 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY As part of its management of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, the National Park Service (NPS) commissioned this project in an effort to identify and represent the York River Indigenous Cultural Landscape. The work was undertaken by St. Mary’s College of Maryland in close coordination with NPS. The Indigenous Cultural Landscape (ICL) concept represents “the context of the American Indian peoples in the Chesapeake Bay and their interaction with the landscape.” Identifying ICLs is important for raising public awareness about the many tribal communities that have lived in the Chesapeake Bay region for thousands of years and continue to live in their ancestral homeland. ICLs are important for land conservation, public access to, and preservation of the Chesapeake Bay. The three tribes, including the state- and Federally-recognized Pamunkey and Upper Mattaponi tribes and the state-recognized Mattaponi tribe, who are today centered in their ancestral homeland in the Pamunkey and Mattaponi river watersheds, were engaged as part of this project. The Pamunkey and Upper Mattaponi tribes participated in meetings and driving tours.
    [Show full text]
  • The Powhatan Native Americans: a Historical Narrative
    The Powhatan Native Americans—A Historical Narrative Jenny Huebner Social Studies Curriculum & Instruction 4/9/08 http://jmhueb.people.wm.edu/ 1 Jenny Huebner Historical narrative Introduction Native Americans, as their name implies were the first people to inhabit what is now the United States. They peopled North America long before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492, and their origins have been contested in many myths alluding to the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel and Atlantis. The Native American tribes were not unified, and their languages numbered over 300. One language family, Algonquian, was shared by the Powhatan. The Powhatan were a group of approximately 30 tribes that inhabited the Tidewater area of Virginia and Maryland in the late 16th and early 17th century. Their history is unique in that they were in existence for approximately 80 years. Around 1570, a chief known as Wahunsonacock united these tribes by force, but they disbanded circa 1650. The arrival of English settlers, which occurred in 1607, in addition to Chief Powhatan’s death in 1618, may have contributed to the disbanding the Powhatan tribes (Feest 1990). Although Native American tribes were abundant in the past, yet had no common organizational structure, they came to share a common pattern of mistreatment from the Europeans who interacted with and dwelt among them. The Spanish came to America in the mid-16th century in search of a passage to China. Instead, they met various Algonquians with whom they traded and eventually came to view as a source of labor. In later years, French fur trappers saw the Native Americans simply as a way to acquire pelts, and missionaries viewed Native Americans as a source of potential converts.
    [Show full text]
  • The Powhatan of Tsenacomoco
    The Powhatan of Tsenacomoco The Powhatan of Tsenacomoco By Erin Sawyer When the English docked their ships on the shore of North America in 1607, they set forth to build a small settlement named “Jamestown” after King James I. The larger territory around Jamestown, “Virginia,” had already been named by earlier settlers in honor of their English queen. However, these titles were not what the Powhatan Indians, who had lived in this area for thousands of years, considered home. For them, “Virginia” was “Tsenacomoco,” the homeland they had shared with other Native American tribes for generations. This map shows Virginia and West Virginia in 1881. Before colonists arrived, Native American tribes like the Powhatan inhabited these lands for centuries. 1 | P a g e The Powhatan of Tsenacomoco Life for the Powhatan Indians differed greatly from the English settlers’ lives. It comes as no surprise that the two groups had trouble understanding each other when the English arrived in 1607. The Powhatan were a mighty group who lived among the beautiful, stately trees and rich forests of modern-day Virginia. The Powhatan men spent their time hunting, fishing, and building traps for food, while the women were in charge of most of the farming and gathering. Once an area of land had been farmed, the Powhatan moved to a new location with their families. For the Powhatan, and many neighboring tribes, it was understood that unused farmland remained under the control of the original tribe. Therefore, the Powhatan owned much land, even when it wasn’t being used or occupied.
    [Show full text]
  • The Potomac Creek Site (44St2) Revisited
    THE POTOMAC CREEK SITE (44ST2) REVISITED \ \ '-' STRUCTURE @@ OSSUARY 0BASTION 84 DITCH , .. ., ........ PALISADE 0- 40 meters Research Report Series No. 10 Virginia Department of Historic Resources 2801 Kensington Avenue Richmond, Virginia 23221 THE POTOMAC CREEK SITE (44ST2) REVISITED Virginia Department of Historic Resources Research Report Series No. 10 Prepared by: William and Mary Center for Archaeological Research Department of Anthropology The College of William and Mary Williamsburg, Virginia 23 187-8795 Project Director Dennis B. Blanton Authors Dennis B. Blanton Stevan C. Pullins Veronica L. Deitrick with contributions from: Gwenyth Duncan William C. Johnson Lisa Kealhofer Justine K. McKnight This volume is dedicated in memory of Thomas Dale Stewart (1 90 1-1 997) ABSTRACT Under agreement with tlie Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR), the William and Mary Center for Archaeological Research (WMCAR) completed a second stage of data recovery in a portion of tlie Potomac Creek Site (44ST2) in Stafford County, Virginia. The fieldwork for this effort was completed in November and December, 1996. It followed completion of the first stage by Cultural Resources, Inc. which consisted of sampling and removal of plowzone to identify cultural features. The WMCAR work resulted in systematic sampling of each cultural feature identified. These include sections of a perimeter ditch, four palisade post lines, nine palisade trench lines, five pit features, and one structure. Radiocarbon dates establish occupation between AD 1300 and 1550. A model is presented of village evolution that accounts for an initial immigrant group and eventual adjustments to local conditions, including chiefdom-level organization. Patterns of subsistence are documented along with material culture.
    [Show full text]
  • Preservation and Partners: a History of Piscataway Park
    Preservation and Partners: A History of Piscataway Park Janet A. McDonnell, PhD December 2020 Resource Stewardship and Science, National Capital Area, National Park Service and Organization of American Historians EXECUTIVE SUMMARY During the early republic period of American history, President George Washington was the most renowned resident of the Potomac River valley. His sprawling Mount Vernon estate sat on a hill directly across the Potomac River from the 17th century Marshall Hall estate in Maryland. There is ample evidence that Washington and his guests enjoyed and very much appreciated the stunning view. Many years later preserving this view would become the major impetus for establishing what we know today as Piscataway Park (PISC), a few miles south of Washington, DC. These lands along the Maryland shore of Potomac River were actively cultivated during George Washington’s time, and the existing park setting, which includes agricultural lands and open spaces interspersed with forests and wetlands, closely approximates that historic scene. The National Park Service’s (NPS) primary goal and responsibility in managing the park has been, and continues to be, preserving this historic scene of open fields and wooded areas and ensuring that it does not authorize any landscape alterations except those that would restore previously undisturbed sites, reduce visual intrusions, or maintain open fields. The NPS continues to take into account the slope and orientation of the terrain and the tree cover when considering the location of any new facilities. Piscataway Park and its associated lands are for the most part held under scenic easements and constitute a National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) historic district made up of nearly 5,000 acres of meadow, woodland, and wetland, along six miles of the Potomac River shoreline from the head of Piscataway Creek to the historic Marshall Hall in Maryland’s Prince George’s and Charles counties.
    [Show full text]
  • Living with the Indians Introduction
    LIVING WITH THE INDIANS Introduction Archaeologists believe the American Indians were the first people to arrive in North America, perhaps having migrated from Asia more than 16,000 years ago. During this Paleo time period, these Indians rapidly spread throughout America and were the first people to live in Virginia. During the Woodland period, which began around 1200 B.C., Indian culture reached its high- est level of complexity. By the late 16th century, Indian people in Coastal Plain Virginia, united under the leadership of Wahunsonacock, had organized themselves into approximately 32 tribes. Wahunsonacock was the paramount or supreme chief, having held the title “Powhatan.” Not a personal name, the Powhatan title was used by English settlers to identify both the leader of the tribes and the people of the paramount chiefdom he ruled. Although the Powhatan people lived in separate towns and tribes, each led by its own chief, their language, social structure, religious beliefs and cultural traditions were shared. By the time the first English settlers set foot in “Tsena- commacah, or “densely inhabited land,” the Powhatan Indians had developed a complex culture with a centralized political system. Living With the Indians is a story of the Powhatan people who lived in early 17th-century Virginia— their social, political, economic structures and everyday life ways. It is the story of individuals, cultural interactions, events and consequences that frequently challenged the survival of the Pow- hatan people. It is the story of how a unique culture, through strong kinship networks and tradition, has endured and maintained tribal identities in Virginia right up to the present day.
    [Show full text]
  • Upper Potomac Buoy History
    Upper Potomac Buoy History Historians believe that Capt. John Smith and his crew passed by this point in their Discovery Barge twice in June 1608. The first time was on June 22 when they headed upriver as they explored the Potomac and searched in vain for the Northwest Passage through the continent to the Pacific Ocean. Several days before, they had stopped briefly 40 miles downstream on today's Potomac Creek to visit the Patawomeck chief and his people, the farthest-upstream tribe thought to be allies of the paramount chief Powhatan. Scholars reconstructing this part of the expedition believe that the reception the Englishmen received at Patawomeck was chilly, so they crossed the river and followed the Maryland shoreline to the more welcoming Piscataway people at the towns of Nussamek, near today's Mallows Bay, and Pamacocack, just inside the mouth of Mattawoman Creek, where General Smallwood State Park is located now. They also returned to the Virginia side to visit Tauxenent, inside the mouth of today's Occoquan River. The people in the Piscataway communities urged Smith to visit their paramount chief, or tayac, at Moyaons, which is still sacred ground to the Piscataway people today but which also houses the National Colonial Farm (which is open to the public), just below the mouth of Piscataway Creek. The Piscataway tayac welcomed Smith and the crew and feasted them, we believe on the evening of June 21. The next day, well-fed and rested, the English took their Discovery Barge upriver past this point for an overnight visit with the Anacostan people at the town of Nacotchtank, located on the south side of the mouth of the Anacostia River, at the current site of Bolling Air Force Base.
    [Show full text]