Powhatan

Powhatan Featherwork

We now come to what is perhaps the most interesting topic in the material life of the southern tribes, the woven feather technique. An art so ancient and so elaborate can hardly be expected to have persisted from colonial times down to the present day where the process of deculturation among the conquered tribes has […]

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Powhatan Pottery

First let us look over the material from the Virginia tidewater area. Everywhere here from the southern boundary of Virginia by actual observation, north-ward even through the Delaware valley, the pot-sherds are almost identical in material, decoration and color. Holmes has appropriately called the ceramics of the tidewater “the Algonquian type.” On the Pamunkey, Mattaponi, Rappahannock, James, and Chickahominy rivers it is all the same, the rims, decorations, and ingredients being practically uniform within a certain range of variation.

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Opechancanough and Don Luis

Jamestown was founded in 1607 on land recently conquered by the Powhatan Confederacy. Movies about Pocahontas have given the impression that the “Powhatan Indians” were concentrated on the Chesapeake Bay.  They were not. The villages on the coastline of the Chesapeake were the vassals of the Pamunkey Indians, who forged the confederacy. The capital of the

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The Rickohockens’ Role in Native American Slavery

During the Third Powhatan War (1644-1646) warriors of the Rickohocken tribe, living near the headwaters of the James River, formed an alliance with Powhatan. They massacred all whites that they encountered as they marched down the James Valley. Over 500 white settlers were killed by the Native alliance. The Rickohockens probably would have destroyed the

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Matchotic Tribe

Matchotic (‘bad inlet.’-Hewitt). A group of tribes of the Powhatan confederacy occupying. the country between Potomac and Rappahannock rivers down to about the middle of Richmond county, Virginia, comprising the Tauxenent, Potomac, Cuttatawomen, Pissasec, and Onawmanient. They numbered perhaps 400 warriors in 1608, but 60 years later, according to Jefferson, had become reduced to 60

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Appomattoc Tribe

Appomattoc Indians. A tribe of the Powhatan confederacy formerly living on lower Appomattox River, Virginia. They had 60 warriors in 1608, and were of some importance as late as 1671, but were extinct by 1722. Their principal village, which bore the same name was on the site of Bermuda Hundred, Prince George County, was burned

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Chickahominy Tribe

Chickahominy Indians (from K’chick-ahän-min’-nough, ‘course-pounded corn people.’ ‘hominy people’ Tooker; or from Tshi-ke(jäme(n, a place name meaning ‘swept,’ “cleared,’ and implying a clearing—Gerard). A tribe of the Powhatan confederacy, formerly living on Chickahominy River, Virginia. It was one of the most important tribes in Virginia, numbering 250 warriors, or perhaps 900 souls, in 1608, and

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Powhatan Indian Locations

The tribes, in the order of their location on Smith’s map, were as follows: Tauxenent, Fairfax county Potomac, Stafford and King George counties Cuttatawomen, King George county Pissasec, King George and Richmond counties Onawmanieut, Westmoreland counties Rappahannock, Richmond counties Moraughtacund, Lancaster and Richmond counties Secacawoni, Northumberland counties Wicocomoco, Northumberland counties Nantaughtacund, Essex and Caroline counties

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Powhatan Indian Villages

The following were Powhatan villages: Accohanoc, Accomac, Acconoc, Accoqueck, Accossuwinck, Acquack, Anaskenoans, Appocant, Appomattoc, Arrohattoe, Askakep, Assaomeck, Assuweska, Attamtuck, Aubornesk, Aureuapeugh, Cantaunkack, Capahowasic, Cattachiptico, Cawwontoll, Chawopo, Checopissowo, Chesakawon, Chesapeak, Chiconessex, Chincoteague, Chiskiac, Cinquack, Cinquoteck, Cuttatawomen (1), Cuttatawomen (2), Gangasco, Kapawnich, Kerahocak, Kiequotank, Kupkipcock, Machapunga (1), Machapunga (2), Mamanahunt, Mamanassy, Mangoraca, Mantoughquemec, Martoughquaunk, Massawoteck, Matchopick, Matchut,

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