The Amazing Powhatans.
Table of contents
Introduction
Food
family life
Clothing culture and religon
Arts and crafts
Pocahontas
Time line
Introduction
The Powhatan tribe were situated in the state of Virginia. They are famous for one of
the chiefs daughters, Pocahontas. Disney made a movie about her life in 1995, which
made the Powhatans more well known. The Powhatans are also famous for their arts
and especially their bead work and basketry. The wampum beads changed many
currency systems. The women often made baskets and they where durable and are
similar to some modern things we have today. Just like any other tribe, the Powhatans
did not agree or like the Europeans, who invaded their land. The tribe often got in
many quarrels with the Jamestown colonist. The disputing between the two groups
eventually disintegrate into the history books but the question of who the founders of
north America were is still asked today.
(Gibson,
Karen
Bush.
native
american
congress cataloging in publication data, n.d. Print. )
Table of Contents
history
for
kids.
Chicago:
Library
of
Food
Back in the day there was not microwaves, ovens, and finding food was very difficult.
Every Powhatan tribe member worked, and men and women had different jobs. Even the
children worked! The men fished, hunted animals for food, and made weapons for
hunting. The women would garden, cooked, and gathered foods like, nuts, berries, grapes,
corn, pumpkins, squash, sunflowers, and beans. The men where in charge of the meat
and the women where in charge of the vegtables and anything that they could plant and
then eat. How would their children know how to get food when they have their own
families?
•
table of contents
The children, when they weren’t at school, would learn from their parents how to do
house hold things and to feed a family. the boys were taught by their fathers to hunt,
fish, and make tools. The girls were taught by their mothers how to garden, cook, and
prepare meals. Some of the things they grew were tobacco, corn, and many other
crops. They grew their crops in a garden close to their home. They made their own
gardening tools like deer antler, rocks, and bones. The men hunted deer, bear,
raccoon, rabbits, squirrels, fish, and other wild life. To eat there meals they made, by
hand, Silverware, bowls, and plates .was made out of sea shells, rock, and wood. To
cook there meals they made fires and put the food over it with the help of ther
supplies. To make meet last longer they preserved it by smoking. They had smoke
houses where they would hang the meet in and then smoke it.
table of contents
Family life
As you may know the men hunted. They used every part of the animals for
clothing and to build things for there homes. After the men collected the furs the
women made them into clothing and sold them in the village. Both men and
women worked equally hard. The children were raised by their mothers , but
when they were old enough to learn Indians ways the boys were taught by their
fathers to hunt, fish, and make tools and weapons. The girls were taught by their
mothers to garden, cook, how to be polite, use their manners, and make things.
Men could have more than one wife instead of just one. Girls would get married
at thirteen or older, and the boys would get married as young as fifteen. In the
homes women built houses, grew and gathered food and firewood, and tanned
the animal skins. Men went to war to fight for there tribe. When babies where
born it was a very happy occasion happy occasion. To powhatan tribes family was
always important though times where very hard.
table of contents
Table of contents
Powhatans lived in longhouses, which the women would build and own. They
used bark, branches, and wood and several families would live in them. The
houses healed up to twenty people. The houses where not complex at all and
they had no windows and where just one big room.
Clothing, culture, and religion
•
Table of contents
The Powhatan tribe and other native American tribes, where often
partly naked. Today most people would see this as scandalous or tacky but it was part
of their culture. They often wore apron like skirts made of deer skins. The skirts only
covered the hips and below and noting was worn on top usually. Children didn't wear
any clothing, like babies in today’s world, until7 or 8 years old. Men wore laid back
clothing like necklaces , bracelet s, and they also pierced their ears. Some people might
see Powhatan men clothing as feminine but Powhatan men and women were seen as
more equal. Just like today the Powhatans loved to have fun, play games and sports,
and have talents and hobbies. They played that is very similar to the modern game of
lacrosse. Just like today people gambled, but instead of risking your money, they would
put down bows, arrows, and beads. Religion was very important to the Powhatans.
They believed in a numerous amount of gods and thought they looked like humans. Just
like other gods they helped the humans with many things if the gave worship to them
and sacrifice. Another thing they have in common with other religions is the belief of an
after life when one dies. When one dies the Powhatans went to a place where gods live,
a shaman, and they would give them praise. When they went to the shamans they
might also have a healing ceremony and they would do a spiritual dance consisting of
hoops. do a spiritual dance with hoops. In their temples they had idols who they would
pray to.
Arts
and
crafts
The powhatan tribe is well-known for their beadwork (wampum) and
basketry. They hand crafted wampum out of white and purple shell beads;
unlike today the did not have machines to help them. Wampum beads were
used as currency. The wampum beads where used in the same way we use our
money. Not only where they used as money but often told storyies. Designs
and pictures where used to tell stories about a person or family and where
worn on wampum belts. To make weapons and household items they used
flinted rocks and used natural things from nature, like wood and leaves. They
made plates, bowls, sivilware, clothing, and pots. To make plates, pots and
bowls they used clay and then shapped them into what they wanted it to be.
They had to wait a while before the could use the items, because if the clay
was not dry it would break and make food dirty. They also made bow and
arrows, which was out of wood and rock. For clothing and other things they
used animal skins. They also made rope from animals. To create baskets the
Powhatans wove together strong and bendable items. Native Americans used
their resources very wisely and were very creative.
Table of contents
Pocahontas
Pocahontas was a daughter of the Powhatan chief. When she was about 10 years
old she meet a boy named john smith in Jamestown, but the Powhatan tribe hated him
because he was seen as an enemy. As they grew closer together they fell in love making the
tribe more and more angry . They had decided to capture him and then kill him. Pocahontas
found him about to be killed and she saved him. In 1609 john was seriously injured by gun
powder. She was told he was dead, but he really moved back to England without her
knowing. A friend of smiths, Samuel Argall another Jamestown colonist, kidnapped her and
held her for a ransom. Pocahontas was stubborn, independent, and being herself she refused
to pay the ransom. She adopted the colonist ways and became one of them. She learned
English from a tutor name John Roffle.
Pocahontas
After her grieving over the death of john smith, she married him and became a
Christian, got baptized and changed her name to Rebecca. Her marriage with
Roffle made peace between the Powhatan tribe and the Jamestown colonist.
John R. was a tobacco farmer who wanted to expanded his business. They sailed
to Europe in 1616 for business reasons and she ran into her old friend john
smith. Rebecca and smith caught up from lost time and became good friends
again. She insisted to call john smith father, which is seen today as calling him
daddy meaning the father of ones child. Some may believe that Rebecca
(Pocahontas) and john smith where having a love affair but there is no historical
proof. In 1617, john Roffle and her moved back to Virginia and she became very
ill and died at the age of 22 . When the couple died, the peacefulness died
between the Powhatans and the Jamestown colonist ended.
Time line
Table of
contents
Bibliography
• Gibson, Karen Bush. native american history for kids. Chicago: Library of
congress cataloging in publication data, n.d. Print.
• "Powhatan." Encyclopedia of World Biography.
2004. Encyclopedia.com. 21 Apr. 2015<http://www.encyclopedia.com>.
• Gibson, Karen Bush. native american history for kids. Chicago: Library of
congress cataloging in publication data, n.d. Print.