| |
|
 |
|
-
| Name |
Unnamed Pamunkey Native American |
| Birth |
Algonquin Empire, Virginia  [1] |
| Gender |
Male |
| Death |
Algonquin Empire, Virginia [1] |
| Person ID |
I40744 |
The Hennessee Family |
| Last Modified |
25 Nov 2014 |
| Family 1 |
Unnamed Native American, b. Algonquin Empire, Virginia d. Algonquin Empire, Virginia |
| Marriage |
Algonquin Empire, Virginia [1] |
| Children |
| | 1. Chief Powhatan, b. 17 Jun 1545, Algonquin Empire, Virginia d. 14 Apr 1618, Pamunkey River, King William County, Virginia (Age 72 years) |
|
| Family ID |
F14698 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
30 Apr 2023 |
-
-
| Notes |
- The Pamunkey nation are one of eleven Virginia Indian[2] tribes recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia. The historical tribe was part of the Powhatan paramountcy, made up of Algonquian-speaking tribes. The Powhatan paramount chiefdom was made up over 30 tribes, estimated to total about 10,000-15,000 people at the time the English arrived in 1607.[3] The Pamunkey tribe made up approximately one-tenth to one-fifteenth of the total, as they numbered about 1,000 persons in 1607.[4]
When the English arrived, the Pamunkey were one of the most powerful groups of the Powhatan chiefdom. They inhabited the coastal tidewater of Virginia on the north side of the James River near Chesapeake Bay.[5][6]
The Pamunkey is one of only two tribes that still retain reservation lands assigned by the 1646 and 1677 treaties with the English colonial government.[7] The Pamunkey reservation is located on some of its ancestral land on the Pamunkey River adjacent to present-day King William County, Virginia. The Mattaponi reservation, the only other in the state, is nearby on the Mattaponi River.[7] The Pamunkey tribe has successfully adapted for continuation through the centuries.
The story of Pocahontas (Matoaka) tells a piece of Pamunkey history, but from an English perspective. Study of primary documents from the time of English arrival show that initial contact was characterized by mutual cultural misunderstanding. Colonists portrayed the Virginia tribes by contrasts. They had respect for Powhatan, but characterized other Native Americans by terms such as “naked devils”, showing fear. Fear and appreciation of Native Americans was coupled with distrust and uneasiness. George Percy’s account of the early years expresses such duality: “It pleased God, after a while, to send those people which were our mortal enemies to relieve us with victuals, as bread, corn fish, and flesh in great plenty, which was the setting up of our feeble men, otherwise we had all perished”.[14]P
The English distrusted most tribes, but they noted the Pamunkey did not steal. “Their custom is to take anything they can seize off; only the people of Pamunkey we have not found stealing, but what others can steal, their king receiveth.”[15]
Powhatan’s maternal brother and ultimate successor, Opechancanough, launched attacks in 1622 and 1644 as a result of English encroaching on Powhatan lands. The first, known as the Indian Massacre of 1622, destroyed settlements such as Henricus and Wolstenholme Towne, and nearly wiped out the colony.[16] Jamestown was spared in the attack of 1622 due to a warning. During each attack, about 350-400 settlers were killed. In 1622 the population had been 1,200; and in 1644, 8,000 prior to the attacks. Captured in 1646, Opechancanough was killed by an English guard, against orders. His death contributed to the decline of the Powhatan Chiefdom.[3] [2]
- As Rolfe was a child of an Englishman and a Native American woman, some aspects of his life were particularly controversial. He expressed interest in rekindling relations with his Native American relatives, despite societal ridicule and laws that forbade such contact. In 1641, Rolfe petitioned the governor for permission to visit his "aunt, Cleopatra, and his kinsman Opecanaugh".[7] [1]
|
-
|
|
|
