Virginia Studies: VS 2d,e,g (Native Peoples)
American Indians were the first people living in Virginia. They lived in all
areas of the state.
The people were called Indians by Christopher Columbus when he thought
he had reached the Indies (near China).
Artifacts are things left behind by the native people such as arrowheads,
pottery, and other tools. They tell us about how the native people lived.
Scientists called archaeologists study the evidence left behind by people of
the past. Scientists are still finding new evidence to help us understand the
past.
Scientists have learned about Werowocomoco, a large Indian town used by
Indian leaders for hundreds of years before the English came. It was the
headquarters for Chief Powhatan.
The native people in Virginia belonged to a group called the Eastern
Woodlands Indians. They were named Eastern Woodland Indians because
they live in on land covered with mostly forests.
The Eastern Woodland Indians lived in Virginia and were grouped by the
languages they spoke. There were three major language groups.
1. Algonquian language group
a. Spoken in the Tidewater region
b. The Powhatan were members of this group
2. Siouan language group
a. Spoken mostly in the Piedmont region
b. The Monacan were members of this group
3. Iroquoian language group
a. Spoken in Southwestern Virginia, and in Southern Virginia near
North Carolina.
b. The Cherokee were part of this group
Virginia’s American Indians related to the mild climate and the four seasons
in Virginia to meet their basic needs. The food they ate, the clothing they
wore, and the shelters they had depended on the seasons.
Food changed with the seasons.
 Winter, they hunted birds and other animals. They ate stored food
from the fall.
 Spring- They hunted, fished and picked berries.
 Summer- They grew crops like corns, beans and squash.
 Fall- They harvested crops and hunted for foods to preserve and
keep for winter.
Animal skins were used as clothing. Shelter was made from materials
around them.
Native Peoples of the Past
Native Peoples Today
Go to grocery stores
Farmed, hunted and fished
Buy houses
Made homes from natural resources
Wear clothes like you!
Used animal skins for clothing
Their cultures have changed over time! American Indians continue to live in
all parts of Virginia today.
The state recognized tribes today are:
Piedmont Region
Monacan Tribe
Coastal Plain/Tidewater Region
Chickahominy Tribe
Eastern Chickahominy Tribe
Mattaponi Tribe
Nansemond Tribe
Pamunkey Tribe
Rappahannock Tribe
Upper Mattaponi Tribe