Native Peoples in
Early Colonial Virginia
When the settlers came to Virginia on December 20, 1606 there were thousands of Native Americans living in a land that they called "Pamahsawuh"G. Each Native American was a member of a specific tribe.G There were so many Indian tribes in North America alone, that even the Indians did not know how many tribes there were!
The Indians lived with nature and adapted their lifestyles to their surroundings and the seasons. Each tribe spoke a different language or dialectG and held many different beliefs and traditions. The Indian village was the center of a person's life.
To see two different examples of what a typical Indian village might have looked like click here
All the tribes in Virginia in the 17th century used natural resources to obtain food, clothing, and shelter throughout the year. Hunting, fishing, and gathering were the Indians' major sources of food. Each tribe had its own chiefG who would govern the village and tribe accordingly.
Learn more about the fishing community in the Indian village by clicking here.
This is a picture of Chief Powhatan, one of the most powerful leaders in Virginia at this time. He had more than 30 tribes and over 10,000 Indians under his rule.
This image was downloaded from the Rankokus Indian Reservation web site.
There were three big groups of Eastern Woodland Indians living in Virginia when the settlers arrived:
The Algonquian Indians
The group of Eastern Woodland Indians called the Algonquian Indians was the largest Indian group in Virginia at this time. There were over 10,000 Algonquian Indians in Virginia during the years before the colonists arrived. Their tribes are found mainly around the Chesapeake Bay and its surrounding rivers. Look at the Algonquian Tribal Map to see if any of these tribes are near where you live!
The Iroquoian Indians
The Iroquoian Indians had three tribes in Virginia. They had about 2,500 Iroquoian Indians that made up their population. The Cherokee Indians, the Meherrin Indians, and the Nottoway Indians are three tribes that lived in southern parts of the state. See if you can find these tribes on the Iroquois Tribal Map.
The Siouan Indians
The third group of Eastern Woodland Indians living in Virginia were the Siouan Indians. The Siouan tribes lived in different parts of Virginia. No one is really sure about the exact location of the Siouan tribes, but check out the Siouan Map to give you some idea of where they lived!