Powhatan: The Past and Present of Virginia's First Tribes
WORKING TOGETHER Silvery fish called shad flop and twist in nets Members of Powhatan tribes collect their eggs in special tanks Within days baby fish emerge They feed on tiny shrimp growing bigger But the tribe members do not eat them They release the shad into the river Millions more fish inhabit rivers today because of Powhatan tribes ivers fed their ancestors and connected their tribes during difficult times of change Powhatan today work to protect their traditions and healthy rivers for their children and future generations ancestor family member who lived a long time ago custom idea or belief passed down through time tradition
Powhatan fishing customs Shad fishing is an important industry for the Powhatan and at the center of their culture Modern fish hatcheries keep shad populations up which the Powhatan harvest each spring The James River has always been important to the Powhatan people
Chapter The Confederacy replicas of reed covered dwellings at a Powhatan village in Jamestown Viriginia confederacy union of people or groups with a common goal council group of people elected to make decisions for a larger group
Water flows down the Blue Ridge Mountains across plains and into the Atlantic Ocean In the 1600s Chief Wahunsonacock easily traveled the waters by canoe visiting the villages he ruled in what is now Virginia The English later called him Powhatan Chief Powhatan united more than 30 tribes into a powerful confederacy Werowocomoco A bronze engraving of Chief was the capital which is in Powhatan is on display at the Pamunkey Reservation present day Gloucester County The chief protected more than 150 villages in exchange for tributes of food and gifts Tribes of the Powhatan Confederacy shared much in common They lived near rivers in the Chesapeake Bay area They spoke similar Algonquian languages Each village had a leader who was usually chosen by Powhatan But the tribes were also independent A council of advisers and priests helped their leaders make decisions for the villages The Nansemond Chickahominy Pamunkey Mattaponi and Rappahannock peoples were loyal to the Powhatan Confederacy but also to their own tribe
