What are facts about the Powhatan Indians in Virginia?

Answer 1

The Powhatans didn't live in tepees. They lived in small round houses called wigwams, or in larger Iroquois-style longhouses. Here are some pictures of American Indian houses like the ones Powhatan Indians used. Some Powhatan villages were palisaded (surrounded by log walls for protection), and each village had a council house and food storage building. Today, Native Americans only build wigwams or long houses for fun or to connect with their heritage. Most Powhatans live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you.

Powhatan warriors used tomahawks or heavy wooden war clubs. They also carried shields. Powhatan hunters used bows and arrows. Fishermen used nets and pronged spears to catch fish from their canoes.

The Powhatans used bows and arrows made of wood and rock. They would also wield tomahawks during war or heavy wooden clubs. The Powhatans would use knives, wooden swords, and pronged spears.

They do the same things any children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house. In the past, Indian kids had more chores and less time to play, just like early colonial children. But they did have dolls and toys, such as a miniature bow and arrow or hand-held ball games. Like many Native Americans, Powhatan mothers traditionally carried their babies in cradleboards on their backs--a custom which many American parents have adopted now.

Powhatan women wore knee-length fringed skirts. Powhatan men dressed in breechcloths, with leggings in cooler weather. Shirts were not necessary in the Powhatan culture, but Powhatan people did wear mantles and cloaks made of turkey feathers in the winter. Powhatan men and women both wore earrings and deerskin moccasins. Here is a picture of Powhatan Indian clothing, and some photographs and links about American Indian costume in general.

The Powhatan's didn't wear long headdresses like the Sioux. Usually they wore beaded headbands with a feather or two in the back. The Powhatan's painted their faces and bodies with different colors and designs for different occasions, and often wore tattoos. Powhatan men and women both wore their hair long, but Powhatan men often cut theirs shorter on the right side than on the left.

Today, some Powhatan people still have a traditional headband or moccasins, but they wear modern clothes like jeans instead of breechcloths... and the Powhatan women wore knee-length fringed skirts. Powhatan men dressed in breechcloths, with leggings in cooler weather. Shirts were not necessary in the Powhatan culture, but Powhatan people did wear mantles and cloaks made of turkey feathers in the winter. Powhatan men and women both wore earrings and deerskin moccasins. Here is a picture of Powhatan Indian clothing, and some photographs and links about American Indian costume in general.

At the time European settlers arrived in the Chesapeake Bay, the region was occupied by approximately 13,000 to 14,000 Powhatan Indians. The Powhatan settlements were concentrated along the rivers, which provided food and transportation.

The ruler of the Indians in this area was Wahunsonacock, who was commonly referred to as "Powhatan." John Smith described Powhatan as "a tall well proportioned man, with a sower look, his head somewhat gray, his beard so thinne, that it seemeth none at all, his age (as of 1608) neare sixtie, of a very able and hardy body to endure any labour." Powhatan had a large family, consisting of over 100 wives and many children. The most famous of his children was a daughter named Matoaka, better known by the nickname "Pocahontas."

At it's peak, the Powhatan nation included over 30 tribes. Each tribe was lead by it's own chief who paid tribute to Powhatan. Powhatan's people farmed as well as hunting and gathering food.

Although early interactions between the English and the Powhatans was sometimes violent and exploitive on both sides, leaders of both peoples realized the mutual benefit to be derived from peaceful relations. The marriage of Powhatan's daughter, Pocahontas, to settler John Rolfe in 1614 ensured a few years of peace. However, with the death of Pocahontas in 1617 and the death of Powhatan a year later, the peace came to an end.

In 1622, lead by their new leader, Opechancanough, the Powhatans staged an attack on English settlements throughout Virginia. The settlers retaliated and waged an all out war on the Powhatan people. For over a decade, the English systematically razed villages, seizing or destroying crops, killing men and women, and capturing children. The English expanded their empire as the Powhatan empire declined. In 1644, Opechancanough rallied his people for a final attempt at forcing the English off their land. Hundreds of colonists were killed, and Opechancanough was captured by the English and shot. Finally, treaties were made with Opechancanough's successor, severely restricting the Powhatan people's territory and confining them to small reservations. By 1669, the population of Powhatan Indians in the area had dropped to about 1,800 and by 1722, many of the tribes comprising the empire of Chief Powhatan were reported extinct.