VS. 2def Interactive Notes continued

What was Werowocomoco?

Werowocomoco was a large Indian town, or village, used by Indian leaders for hundreds of years before English settlers arrived. These tribes lived in the Coastal Plain (Tidewater) area of Virginia and spoke the Algonquian language. It was also the headquarters of the leader, Powhatan, in In fact, Werowocomoco was the place where the Powhatan and English settlers from Jamestown first met, but is best known as where John Smith was rescued by Pocahontas, the daughter of Powhatan! During the last seven years, archaeologists have located a 50-acre settlement with many artifacts and structures built around 1400 A.A.

What was historic Jamestown?

Jamestown became the First English settlement in North America. In 1994 archaeologists began their dig with hopes of finding evidence of the original 1607 James Fort. For over two centuries, it was considered lost due to river shoreline erosion. Archaeologists have now rediscovered much of the fort and have recovered over a million artifacts that can tell the real story about Jamestown. The recovered artifacts will also give archaeologists clues about the interactions of the English, Africans, and Indians during that time in Virginia’s history.

Color in the words Werowocomoco and Jamestown. Write a short description of each town next to, or underneath, each word.

VS. 2g Interactive Notes

When the settlers came to Virginia in 1606, American Indians were already living in Virginia. The Indians called Virginia “Pamahsawuh.” Different tribes have been in Virginia for thousands of years. Today, the Commonwealth of Virginia recognizes eight American Indian tribes: Chickahominy, Eastern Chickahominy, Mattaponi, Nansemond, Pamunkey, Rappahannock, Upper Mattaponi, and Monacan Tribes.

Recognized Tribes in the Coastal Plain (Tidewater) Region

Chickahominy The Chickahominy Tribe lives in Charles City County, midway between Richmond and Williamsburg in the Coastal Plain (Tidewater) region. Their location is close to where the tribe lived in When Jamestown was founded, the tribe lived in towns along the Chickahominy River. The Chickahominy Tribe was forced from their homeland as Jamestown continued to grow and prosper.

Eastern Chickahominy The Eastern Chickahominy Tribe lives east of Richmond in New Kent County in the Coastal Plain (Tidewater) region. They were part of the Chickahominy Tribe (Eastern Division) until Because they had difficulty getting to Charles City for tribal meetings, they organized their own tribal government.

Mattaponi The Mattaponi Tribe lives on a reservation along the border of the Mattaponi River in King William County in the Coastal Plain (Tidewater) region. Being one of the oldest reservations in the country, the Mattaponi Indian Reservation can trace its history back to chief Powhatan, leader of the American Indians living in the Coastal Plain (Tidewater) region. Back in 1646, the Mattaponi Tribe began paying tribute to an early Virginia governor. Since then, the Mattaponi Tribe has been paying tribute to the governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia on the fourth Wednesday of November.

Nansemond The Nansemond Tribe lives in the Suffolk/Chesapeake area in the Coastal Plain (Tidewater) region. They lived in several towns along the Nansemond River near Chuckatuck, but as the Europeans continued to settle in the area, the Nansemond Tribe had to relocate their tribal lands and their reservations several times.

Pamunkey The Pamunkey Tribe lives on the Pamunkey Indian Reservation which is on the Pamunkey River near King William County in the Coastal Plain (Tidewater) region. Archaeologists, anthropologists, and historians have traced their tribal lands dating back thousands of years. The Pamunkey Tribe has been recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia as an Indian tribe since colonial times.

Rappahannock The Rappahannock Tribe lives on 150 acres of hardwood forest and rolling farmland in Indian Neck, King & Queen County in the Coastal Plain (Tidewater) region. The reservation was set up by the Virginia Council after the English settled illegally in the Rappahannock River Valley. It is likely that the ship captain killed the chief of the Rappahannock tribe and took a group of Rappahannock Indian men back to England. Four years later, Captain John Smith was accused of the crime. After Smith was found innocent, he returned to the Rappahannock homeland and set up 14 towns on the north side of the river. The territory on the south side was the Rappahannock’s hunting ground.

Upper Mattaponi The Upper Mattaponi Tribe for many centuries lived in villages along the waterways of Virginia. Today many Upper Mattaponi people live in King William County in the Coastal Plain (Tidewater) region. The Upper Mattaponi own 32 acres of land and have the only public Indian school building still existing in the state of Virginia. The school which closed in 1965 now serves as their Tribal Center.

Under the map of Virginia, list the 7 tribes recognized in the Coastal Plain region. Color the Coastal Plain/Tidewater region.

Recognized Tribe in the Piedmont Region

Monacan The Monacan Tribe lives on Bear Mountain in Amherst County in the Piedmont region. It has been their home for more than 10,000 years. The Monacan Tribe’s original territory occupied more than half of the state of Virginia, including the Piedmont Region and parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains. They are the oldest group of native peoples still living in their homeland and the only group of Eastern Siouan people in Virginia.

Under the map of Virginia, list the tribe that is recognized in the Piedmont region. Color the Piedmont region.

Although these tribes are recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia, many of the tribes are hoping to gain recognition by an act of Congress. The Senate Indian Affairs Committee approved a bill to recognize the Chickahominy, the Eastern Chickahominy, the Monacan, the Nansemond, the Rappahannock, and the Upper Mattaponi tribes.