VA Studies: Native Americans

Powerpoint created by Carrie ReedFacts from the VA Pacing Guide

Why did Christopher Columbus call the people

he found “Indians”?

Christopher Columbus called the people he found in the

lands he discovered “Indians” because he thought he was in the

Indies (near China).

What are artifacts?

Artifacts such as arrowheads, pottery, and

other tools that have been found tell us a lot about the people who lived in

Virginia.

What were the three major language groups found in

Virginia?

There were three major language groups found in

Virginia. Algonquian, Siouan, and Iroquoian.

Where was Algonquian spoken and which tribe was part of this group?

Algonquian was spoken primarily in the Tidewater

region; the Powhatans were a part of this group.

Where was Siouan spoken and which tribe was part of

this group?

Siouan was spoken primarily in the Piedmont region;

the Monocan were part of this group.

Where was Iroquoian spoken and which tribe was part of this group?

Iroquoian was spoken in Southwestern Virginia and in Southern Virginia near

what is today North Carolina; the Cherokee were part of this group.

What language group was spoken here?

Algonquian was spoken here.

What language group was spoken here?

Iroquoian was spoken here.

What language group was spoken here?

Siouan was spoken here.

What is the climate like in Virginia?

The climate in Virginia is relatively mild with distinct seasons – spring, summer, fall, and winter – resulting in a variety of vegetation.

What are Virginia’s Indians called and why?

Virginia’s Indians are referred to as Eastern

Woodland Indians because forests, which have a variety of trees, cover

most of the land.

What did the food, clothing and shelter depend on for

the Native people?

The kinds of foods the native peoples ate, the

clothing they wore, and the shelters they had

depended on the seasons.

What did the Eastern Woodland Indians eat in

the winter?

Winter – they hunted birds and animals and lived on

stored goods from the previous fall.

What did they eat in the Spring?

Spring – they hunted, fished, and picked berries.

What did they eat in the summer?

Summer – they grew crops (beans, corn, squash).

What did they eat in the fall?

Fall – they harvested crops and hunted for foods to

preserve and keep for the winter.

What did the native peoples use for clothing?

Animal skins (deerskin) were used for clothing.

What did the native peoples use for shelter?

Shelter was made from the material around them (Natural Resources).

What was life like for the native peoples?

Native peoples of the past farmed, hunted, and

fished. They made homes using natural resources.

They used animal skins for clothing in the winter.

What is life like today for Native Americans?

Today, most native peoples live like other Americans.

Their cultures have changed over time.

What are archeaologists?

Archaeologists study all kinds of material evidence left from the people of the

past.

What was Werowocomoco?

Werowocomoco was a large Indian town used by Indian leaders for several hundred

years before the English settlers came. It was the

headquarters of the leader, Powhatan, in 1607.

What did archaeologists discover at the original

Jamestown fort?

Archaeologists discovered the original Jamestown fort.

They recovered artifacts that gave them clues about the interactions of the English,

Africans, and Indians in early Virginia.

Do American Indians still live in Virginia today?

American Indians, who trace their family history back to before 1607, continue to live in all parts of Virginia

today.

Which state tribes live in the Coastal Plain region? (7

tribes)

Coastal Plain – Chickahominy

Eastern ChickahominyMattaponi

NansemondPamunkey

RappahannockUpper Mattaponi

Which one current state tribe lives in the Piedmont

region?

Piedmont – Monacan tribe