What was life like for the Powhatans?
The Powhatan lifestyle was a very unique and interesting one! The Powhatans lived in tribes, and they were often separated into groups, but I like to think of it as little neighborhoods! And in the neighborhoods, there were priests, doctors, farmers; some of what you might see in your own small town in present day. But their culture was very different, and definitely worthy of a blog entry subject! In the Powhatan way of living, there large tribes, and there were small "community" tribes. The larger groups usually had a large house for the chief to live in, while smaller tribes didn't usually have a resident chief. Temples and storage buildings were commonly found in the large tribes. Smaller communities, or "hamlets", held less than ten houses. Each tribe had its own priests and healers, and tribal leaders would often receive gifts from the latest harvest.
The Powhatan Indians were avid farmers and hunters, so they didn't move around very much. The food they ate depended on the season, and corn was their only year around staple. Fresh vegetables, berries, nuts, fish, deer, turkey, and small game were some varieties eaten in specific seasons. Corn, beans, squash, and sunflower seeds were their harvested crops. The Powhatans fished with spears and often travelled in canoes. http://ab.mec.edu/jamestown/powhatan.html
Here's a link to a very interesting video about how advanced the Powhatans really were!
Each Powhatan home usually consisted of a father, mother, and children. The children were forced to grow up very fast, marrying between the ages of thirteen and fifteen. Women and children cared for the crops in the fields, and food was cooked by the women in outdoor fire pits and large clay pots.Women made clothing out of deer hides, and were barbers for the men and children. Women were well respected in the Powhatan society, and men showered a woman with gifts of food if he wanted to marry her. If the man didn't live up to her expectations, the woman would refuse to marry him. Most of the Powhatan man's life consisted of hunting and fishing. Hunting provided food and clothing for families, so a lot of time was devoted to the task.
Nature played an important role in the Powhatan's spiritual beliefs. Different tribes have handed down different beliefs, creation stories, and traditions. Most Powhatans believed the earth was created and controlled by one "Great Spirit". Music and dance were important to the religious rituals of the Powhatans. They also had songs for almost every occasion, like feasts, war, and grief. Something about the Powhatans that was described in detail was their appearance. How these people dressed depended on their age, status, and gender. Men commonly wore a breech-clout of skin between their thighs. Men of a higher status often wore a mantle of turkey feathers as a shirt-like garment. The hair on the right side of their head was shaved, and the left side grew long, and was decorated with shells, or with the hand of a dead enemy. Women mostly wore skirts, and wealthier women wore fringed deer skin. Young girls wore their hair shaved on the sides, with a long braid down the middle, and married women wore their hair long and plaited in the back. The tribal chiefs wore much more extravagant clothing, with ornaments and pearls as embellishments. http://virginiaindians.pwnet.org/index.php
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