First Americans of Virginia

American Indians of Virginia.Meera Mehtaji

The Indians of Virginia lived in the area North America now know as Eastern Woodland Region.

The eastern woodland region had many trees and dense forests.

The climate of Virginia had four seasons, spring, summer, autumn and winter.

Where did they live?

Spring

Autumn

Winter

Summer

Three American Indian language groups on the map of Virginia.

The Powhatan Indians lived in Coastal Plain or Tidewater region.

Present before the European Settlers. Had their own territories, language,

customs and traditions. Chief Powhatan united thirty Algonquian

tribes to form the Powhatan chiefdom.

The Algonquian Language speakers:- Powhatan Indians.

The Powhatan Chief.

The Powhatan people used the different climate of Virginia to get a variety of food.

In different seasons they had different ways of finding food.

Food for every day living.

Spring Powhatan people dung for clams, fished in

the nearby rives and picked wild berries in the forest.

By the end of spring they would plant seed for corn, beans, squash, sunflowers, pumpkins, and tobacco.

The climate is warm and with rain shower. Good for seeds to grow.

Powhatan Indians fishing

Summer Climate is hot and dry. Harvest the spring crops and planted more

for crops to grow till fall.

Corn field Tobacco field

Autumn Climate:- Cool with rain showers Harvested the crops and prepared them to

last over winter.

Winter Climate:- Cold Ate dried fruits and vegetables they had

grown during the planting season. Fresh Food:- hunting birds, and animals

such as wild turkey, deer, squirrel and rabbit.

Powhatan used deer skin to make clothes. They decorated their clothes with shells,

animal claws and pearls.

Clothing

Powhatan people kept warm during winter by building long, one-room houses.

They made the houses out of small trees and barks.

Their families and relatives could all live in these houses.

Their houses were called long houses.

Houses

Long Houses

The Siouan language speakers lived in the Piedmont region.

Monacan were part of this group.

Siouan Language speakers:- Monacans

Grew corn, beans, and squash. Gathered nuts, berries, and other foods

form the trees in the forest. They made household goods out of wood,

bones, animal skin, and other available natural resources.

Woman

Hunting and fishing. Protected their homelands by becoming

warriors. Did not allow other Indian group to invade

their lands.

Men

Lived in southwestern Virginia and southern Virginia.

Lived in small communities. Located on fertile lands along side the

rivers.

Iroquoian language speakers:- Cherokee

Cherokee leaders

Houses were made of wood frame covered with woven vines and tree saplings and plastered with mud.

Later replaced with log structures.

Houses

Children took the family name of the mother.

Women had equal voice in the tribe. Each village had council houses where

ceremonies and tribal meetings were held using democratic process.

Village life