The  First  People  of  Virginia  A  Social  Studies  Resource  Unit  for  K-­6  Students  

 

 Image:  Arrival  of  Englishmen  in  Virginia  from  Thomas  Harriot,  A  Brief  and  True  Report,  1590    

Submitted  as  Partial  Requirement  for  EDUC  405/  CRIN  L05  Elementary  Social  Studies  Curriculum  and  Instruction  

Professor  Gail  McEachron    

Prepared  By:    Lauren  Medina:  http://lemedina.wmwikis.net/    Meagan  Taylor:  http://mltaylor01.wmwikis.net  

Julia  Vans:  http://jcvans.wmwikis.net    Historical  narrative:  All  group  members  Lesson  One-­  Map/Globe  skills:  All  group  members  Lesson  Two-­  Critical  Thinking  and  The  Arts:  Julia  Vans  Lesson  Three-­Civic  Engagement:    Meagan  Taylor  Lesson  Four-­Global  Inquiry:  Lauren  Medina  Artifact  One:  Lauren  Medina  Artifact  Two:  Meagan  Taylor  Artifact  Three:    Julia  Vans  Artifact  Four:  Meagan  Taylor  Assessments:  All  group  members  

  2  

 The First People of Virginia

Introduction

The history of Native Americans prior to European contact is often ignored in

K-6 curriculums, and the narratives transmitted in schools regarding early Native

Americans interactions with Europeans are often biased towards a Euro-centric

perspective. It is important, however, for students to understand that American History

did not begin with European exploration. Rather, European settlement in North America

must be contextualized within the framework of the pre-existing Native American

civilizations they encountered upon their arrival.

Studying Native Americans and their interactions with Europeans and each

other prior to 1619 aligns well with National Standards for History as well as Virginia

Standards of Learning (SOLs), which dictate that students should gain an understanding

of diverse historical origins of the people of Virginia. There are standards in every

elementary grade level that are applicable to this topic of study including Virginia SOLs

K.1, K.4, 1.7, 1.12, 2.4, 3.3, VS.2d, VS.2e, VS.2f and WHII.4 (see Appendix A). These

standards require students to demonstrate understanding of the motives and nature of

European colonization and exploration. They also require students to identify key facets

of the culture of several Virginia Native American groups. Furthermore, they require

students to identify several Native Americans who interacted frequently with Europeans

as well as locate the places wherein these interactions occurred (Virginia Department of

Education, 2010).

Learning about the early cultural interactions of Europeans and Native

Americans lays the groundwork for students to understand the diversity of American

  3  

culture. Through examination of the early contact period, students will see that when

diverse peoples interact, they do so from varying cultural standpoints and with different

strategic purposes in mind. Study of this period will also inform students’ examinations

of their own cultural presumptions and promote reflection on the ways in which these

presumptions shape their personal interactions.

Key Ideas and Events

The first peoples to settle in what is now known as Virginia were the Native

Americans. When Europeans began to explore and settle the area early 1500s, they

encountered many diverse Native American groups with complex political systems,

economic practices, and social traditions (Egloff & Woodward, 2006)

Archaeological evidence suggests that humans have been present in Virginia

for 17,000 years. Many scientists believe that the ancestors of these earliest Virginians

came to North America by walking across a land bridge from Asia. Towards the end of

the Pleistocene Ice Age Glaciers lowered the sea level, exposing a stretch of land

between Siberia and Alaska. (Virginia’s First People, 2005) This stretch of land is

known as the Bering Strait. These people would have crossed the land bridge in search of

food- likely following after large game. (Teachers’ Domain, 2005). These ancestors then

traveled across North America in bands based on family groups, some eventually arriving

the area today known as Virginia. Though these groups traditionally practiced nomadic

hunting and gathering, the native inhabitants of Virginia shifted from a nomadic way of

life and began to settle in tribal groups between 10,000 BCE and 1600 BCE (Virginia’s

First People, 2005).

The tribal groups that arose in Virginia developed distinct cultures and societal

  4  

structures. Each tribe held different spiritual beliefs and cultivated different expressive

traditions. Languages and dialects varied from tribe to tribe. By the early 17th century,

three major language groups had formed among the tribes of Virginia Indians. These

linguistic groups were the Algonquin, the Siouan, and the Iroquoian (Bushnell,

1940). Each group occupied a different area of the state and possessed widely varying

cultures (Egloff &Woodward, 2006).

The Algonquian Native Americans inhabited the Tidewater region of Virginia.

The Algonquin villages were along the banks of rivers from the Chesapeake Bay to the

fall line (Bushnell, 1940). In the late 16th century, many of these Algonquian tribes were

unified under the paramount chiefdom of a man named Wahunsunacock from the town of

Powhatan. This man took on the name of Powhatan, and referred to thirty-two chiefdoms

under his rule as the Powhatan tribes. Powhatan presided over more than 32 chiefdoms

with over 10,000 people (Virginia’s First People, 2005).

The environment was key in shaping the culture and society of the Powhatan.

The Powhatan settled into agricultural communities and relied on farming, which

supplied them with the staple foods of corn, squash and beans. This was supplemented

with fish, oysters and clams sourced from the surrounding waterways (Fitz Turner, 1992).

Hunting was also essential to supplement the food sources. Though hunting was

primarily conducted by Powhatan men, women were often responsible for growing and

gathering food (Virginia’s First People, 2005).

Even beyond this important work role, women held significant influence in

Powhatan society. Powhatan society was matrilineal, meaning that property, political

power, and social status were inherited through women (Rountree, 1996). Women also

  5  

were responsible for building homes, thereby, playing a key role in providing both shelter

and nourishment for the community. (Fitz Turner, 1992).

The Powhatan interacted with the environment to meet their basic needs and

utilized natural resources to make tools, instruments, weapons, clothing, and art. Some

tribes, for example, used natural clay deposits to make pottery, the remnants of which are

studied today to learn more about how the Powhatan lived. The Powhatans were also able

to craft canoes, which enabled the transfer goods and people between villages and

enabled an interchange through which a rich expressive culture flourished (Rountree,

1996).

On the other side of the Fall Line, another group of Native Americans occupied

Virginia. The Siouan tribes inhabited the Piedmont region. The Monacan were part of

this group and seemed to have moved into the valleys of the James, Rivanna, and

Rappahannock from the west and southwest (Bushnell, 1940). Compared with the

Powhatan, the Siouan tribes seem to have had less permanent settlements. As such, there

is less of an archaeological record of Siouan history. The Siouan tribes also had less

contact with Europeans than did the Powhatans, so there were fewer written records of

their villages and ways of life (Virginia’s First People, 2005).

Despite the paucity in the record of Siouan tribes on the whole, historians have

been able to accumulate some knowledge regarding the Monacan. This tribe traded with

the Powhatan to the east and the Iroquois to the north. Archeological research suggests

Monacan villages consisted of dome-shaped homes within palisade walls and that they

buried their dead in mounds, a practice unique to this tribe (Virginia’s First People,

2005).

  6  

Living Southwest of the Siouan peoples, there was another Native American

language group, the Iroquois. The Cherokee, the most prominent of the Iroquoian tribes,

settled in the southern Appalachians. Secluded in the mountains and protected valleys of

the Appalachians, the Cherokee remained largely secluded from other tribes (Bushnell,

1940). As such, even less is known about the Iroquoian groups than the Siouan or

Algonquian. The most prominent known symbol of Cherokee culture is the town house,

or council house. It served as the gathering place for the community and was built on a

mound of earth, giving it the appearance of a small mountain (Bushnell, 1940).

Europeans did not arrive upon the scene in present day Virginia until the early

1500s. The fifteenth century marked the beginning of the Age of Exploration in Europe.

Motivated by prospects of trade and wealth and facilitated by the development of new

naval technology, many European navigators set out on voyages to find new trade routes

to the West Indies and Africa. In 1492, Christopher Columbus, sponsored by the

monarchy of Spain, landed in the Bahamas. Mistakenly believing he had found a new

trade route to the East Indies, he called the native people he encountered “Indians.”

Reports of his voyages were widely disseminated across Europe, inciting a European race

for land in the supposed “East Indies” (Lombard & Middleton, 2011).

Early interactions between Native Americans and Europeans in Virginia were

contoured by very different cultural paradigms regarding property, religion, and social

roles. Both Native Americans and Europeans approached interactions with each other

from ethnocentric and strategic standpoints. Relations between the Native American

groups and Europeans fluctuated between conflict and cooperation according to changing

needs and dissemination of narratives about each other.

  7  

The first account of European and Native American contact in present-day

Virginia comes from Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524 (Silver, 1990). Verazzano was an

Italian commissioned by the French monarchy. Though he sought to find a “northwest

passage” to the orient, he instead found himself exploring the Mid-Atlantic coast. After

landing in the present-day Outer Banks, he continued north, where he explored the coast

of the Chesapeake region and encountered members of the Algonquian group. The

encounter was peaceful, and his account of it was marked by fascination (Mirza,

2007). Though he described the natives he encountered as possessing sharp wits, he also

wrote that they dressed and ran through the woods like animals. His accounts of these

Native Americans, propagated throughout Europe, promoted an image of Native

Americans as “man-beast hybrids” (Silver, 1990).

Within the next two decades, the Spanish and Portuguese also had sporadic

encounters with Native Americans in present-day Virginia. Many of the accounts that

remain of these interactions come from the European perspective and described “Indians”

as child-like, generous, and easily manipulated in trade interactions. The accounts also

tell of kidnapping adolescent Native Americans for use as interpreters in navigating trade

relations. Their accounts of Native Americans as naïve and useful along with Giovanni’s

accounts likely shaped the expectations of the forthcoming English settlers of Virginia

(Silver, 1990).

In 1584, Queen Elizabeth I granted Walter Raleigh a patent to claim land in the

“New World” in the name of the English crown. In April of that same year, Raleigh sent

Captain Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe on a reconnaissance voyage to find suitable

land to settle (Kupperman, 2007). Within three days of finding land, which they called

  8  

Roanoke, Algonquian Indians approached the explorers’ ship in dugout canoes. The

Englishmen offered one Native American wine and clothing and got food in

return. According to Barlowe’s accounts, this marked the beginning of friendly trade

relations. They exchanged English goods for leather, skins, shells, and dyes. Like

earlier Spanish accounts, Barlowe’s accounts depict Native Americans as very naïve

traders. He conceptualized the amount of furs they were willing to exchange for English

metal goods as outrageous. The Native Americans and English not only had varying

cultural conceptions of the values of the goods exchanged, but also had very different

perspectives about how to best employ the goods. Barlowe’s account for instance,

describes one Native American using an English bowl as a necklace to defend him from

enemy arrows. The friendly trade relations continued throughout the explorers’ stay

(Silver, 1990).

When the explorers returned to report about their voyage, they persuaded two

Native Americans, Manteo and Wanchese to accompany them back to English to serve as

liaisons between the natives and the English colonists (Vaughan, 2006). Queen Elizabeth

impressed by the findings of the voyage, knighted Sir Raleigh, who decided to name the

territory that would be colonized on the next voyage Virginia, after the “Virgin Queen”

(Kupperman, 2007). During their stay in London, Manteo and Wanchese learned some

English, and then accompanied Richard Greenville and about 600 other men back to

America in 1685 with the purpose of establishing a colony (Vaughan, 2006).

Upon returning, Native-American and English relations in Roanoke took

several sour turns. Though Manteo continued to act as a cultural mediator upon his return

to Roanoke, Wanchese shunned the colonists upon his return. In some sense, Manteo

  9  

facilitated peaceful relations between the colonists and the Native Americans, tales of his

usefulness encouraged further kidnappings of Native Americans as interpreters, thereby

damaging English-Native-American relations (Hulme & Sherman, 2000). Relations were

further damaged when Richard Greenville burned an Algonquian village in response to

the alleged taking of a silver cup (Silver, 1990). Later Native American groups retaliated

against this and other violent English actions by devising a plan to restrict English food

supply. Eventually, the colonists were forced to abandon the colony and sail back to

England (Kupperman, 2000).

The legacy of these hostile relations persisted when Raleigh sent another group of

colonists under John White back to Roanoke. Food shortage struck the colony again and

the colonists were not able to ask the Native Americans for food or help because of the

previous incidents. White therefore sailed back to England in 1587 to acquire supplies,

and returned in 1590 to find no sign of the colonists other than the word “Croatoan

“carved on a post. Though it is still unclear what happened to the colonists of Roanoke,

some have theorized that the colonists may have assimilated into the Croatoan tribe

(Kupperman, 2000).

Tales of Native Americans’ role “lost colony” likely shaped the expectations

the next English colonists who came to Virginia. In 1606, King James I granted the

Virginia Company of London, a group of investors who hoped to profit from

colonization, a charter to settle in North America. In addition to monetary aspirations,

the company also supported the broader English national goal to counteract the expansion

of other nations abroad and convert Native Americans to the Anglican religion. These

goals certainly convey some assumptions about Native Americans, shaped by prior

  10  

European accounts of encounters. The 105 men who set sail aboard the Susan Constant,

Godspeed, and Discovery likely expected that once they “tamed” the supposed “savage

nature” of Native Americans through Christianity, these populations could be easily

manipulated for profitable trade (Price, 2005).

These settlers, led by Captain John Smith, first landed on Cape Henry, Virginia on

April 26, 1607, but after the Native Americans living in that area attacked the colonists,

they retreated and continued forth to Jamestown, where they landed on May 13 (Price,

2005). Upon landing, the settlers immediately began to explore the area, travelling the

James, York, Rappahannock, and Potomac Rivers. Throughout the course of this

exploration, they encountered many diverse Native American tribes (Virginia’s First

People, 2005).

The tribes with which they had the most contact, however, were the

Powhatan. John Smith’s A True Relation described some of his encounters with the

Powhatan. In this account, Smith describes being captured near the headwaters of the

Chikahominy River by warriors loyal to Powhatan’s brother Opechancanough. He states

that these warriors took him to Werowocomoco, where Powhatan lived (Werowocomo

Research Project). There, he describes, he was initially offered a feast, but then was

stretched out on two stones, while two Native Americans stood over him and appeared

ready to beat him. Powhatan’s daughter, Pocahontas, then rushed in, and laid herself

over him and pulled him to his feet, whereupon Powhatan claimed Smith as a

friend. Though legend construes this as a romantic sacrifice on behalf of Pocahontas, this

sort of interaction was traditional amongst the Powhatans and likely was part of a ritual

(Mossiker, 1996). During the remainder of Smith’s stay in Werowocomoco, he justified

  11  

English presence in Powhatan territory, saying they sought to counteract Spanish

presence and also sought to avenge the death of an Englishman by Monacans, whom the

Powhatans considered enemies (Werowocomoco Research Project). Based on this

encounter, the Powhatan thought that coalition with the English might be possible,

providing mutual defense against the Spanish and the Monacans. He decided, however,

to allow the 32 chiefdoms unified under him to act as they pleased towards the colonists,

considering it a test of their relations (Zandt. 2008).

Some of these tribes entered trade relationships with the colonists, but others

regarded the colonists with antagonism largely due to cultural differences. Powhatans, for

instance, conceptualized land as common property and believed that open land was a

source of food and materials to be shared by all. English settlers, however, wanted more

land and more resources for export in order to increase their wealth. Powhatans and

colonists also clashed over religion. The English had hoped to convert the Powhatans to

Christianity and became angry when Native Americans refused to renounce their own

gods. Furthermore, the settlers and the Powhatans clashed over beliefs about family

roles. While the English were very patriarchal, Powhatans were matrilineal. Any

cultural antagonism only heightened as disease swept the Powhatan population due to the

introduction of foreign microbes by the English. Tensions also heightened as the

colonists faced food shortages, making them more demanding in trade situations. In

search of resources, colonists also began seizing Native American land, whereupon some

tribes refused to trade with them, amplifying their food shortage (Rountree, 1996).

By fall of 1608, Smith returned to Werowocomoco with Captain Newport and a

group of armed men on an official visit to discuss relations between the two

  12  

groups. Captain Newport suggested making Powhatan a vassal of King James, hoping

this would ensure future cooperation. Powhatan remarked only that he would consider

this arrangement. By December, the English were so desperate for food that they

approached Werowocomoco for corn. Powhatan agreed to provide food in exchange for

guns, an offer which incited further distrust amongst the colonists as they did not want to

arm their potential adversaries (Werowocomoco Research Project).

By 1609, relations between the two parties had become increasingly

distrustful. The English blamed Dutch travellers and settlers, who also had trade

relations with the Powhatans, for propagating rumors about them and turning the

Powhatans against them. Powhatan choses to abandon Werewocomoco, removing

himself, his warriors, and all valuable Powhatan provisions further Westward to Orapaks

on the Chickahominy River (Werowocomoco Research Project).

Less is known about English relationships with other Native American

groups. Unlike the Powhatans who had sustained cooperative relationships at least

temporarily with the colonists, the Monacans did not appear to want contact with the

colonists. Though there were accounts of explorers visiting Monacan towns, the accounts

of these interactions were limited and vague (Hantman, 2009). After these encounters,

however, the Monacans retreated Westward to limit interaction with the colonists. Even

less is know about relationships with Siouan tribes in the early contact. Though John

Smith visited a Siouan tribe, Manhoac, in 1608 and discovered that they were enemies of

Powhatan, there are not elaborate records of this encounter (Virginia’s First People,

2005).

Overall, early encounters of Europeans and Native Americans approached

  13  

interactions with each other according to their needs for resources and their cultural

perspectives. The two groups dramatically influenced each other, sometimes

productively and sometimes detrimentally. Though early interactions provided

opportunities for the exchange of agricultural practices, manufacturing practices, as well

as visual, musical, and linguistic influence, these interactions also caused many deaths

through starvation, violence, or disease. By 1619, though cooperative interactions

certainly still occurred, particularly on a micro-scale, relations between Native Americans

and English on a macro-level could be characterized as distrustful.

Men, Women, Youth, and Children

The early contact period brought many people of diverse origins and cultures into

interaction. Their experiences of these interactions were contoured by race, class, gender,

and ethnicity. Throughout this period, several people played a key role in mediating

interactions between these different cultural groups. Because interactions between the

Powhatan and Jamestown settlers were especially important in shaping the course of

Virginia history, the intermediaries between these two groups are particularly significant.

While many Native Americans interacted with the European settlers, one of the

most notable was Chief Powhatan. Chief Powhatan’s original name was Wahunsonacock.

He came into power in the town of Powhatan and took the name as his own. Originally

he had inherited 4-5 tribes, but he eventually became the chief of an alliance of about 32

tribes called the Tsenacomoco (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, 2011). He

brought these tribes and many villages of Algonquin speaking Native Americans together

under the rule of the Powhatan Paramount Chiefdom, which was headquartered at

Werwocomoco on the York River. (Virginia Department of Historic Resources, 2011)

  14  

Between 1607-1614, Powhatan was the primary point of contact between the Native

American tribes and the English settlers. (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, 2011)

Powhatan’s relationship with the English thereafter was strategically dualistic.

On one hand, he sought to limit English land acquisitions and military movements, but he

also hoped to foster friendly relations for the purposes of trade and the potential

formation of coalition against Monacans and the Spanish (Axtell, 1995). He allowed his

tribes, however, to treat the colonists as they pleased. The environmental stresses of food

shortage and epidemics amongst the Native Americans strained relationships between the

two groups. Relationships also became strained due to English trading policies.

Powhatan had hoped to acquire arms from the English that would help in defending his

people against the Monacans. The colonists, however, nervous about arming potential

adversaries, only offered very limited supplies of arms. This angered Powhatan, who

sent his men to capture whatever arms they could from the English. The English then

captured these men. By 1614 some Powhatan warriors had begun staging small scale

attacks on the Jamestown settlement. In retaliation, the settlers kidnapped Pocahontas.

They agreed to return her in exchange for some of the men that Powhatan’s warriors had

taken prisoner from the settlement. Due to this and other hostile encounters, Powhatan

ended up eventually relocating his headquarters further westward, where he sought to

avoid further open hostilities with the English until his death (Library of Congress).

His daughter, Pocahontas, also played a significant role in mediating conflict

between the two groups. After initial introduction to Smith through the ritual in which

she symbolically saved him, Pocahontas frequently visited Jamestown, delivering

messages from her father and accompanying traders. Through these visits, she and John

  15  

Smith became good friends. When relationships became strained between the Powhatans

and the Jamestown colonists, Powhatan prevented Pocahontas from visiting as often.

Pocahontas’ interactions with the colonists, however, were not over. In 1613, as relations

between the Powhatan and the English settlers worsened, several Englishmen kidnapped

Pocahontas in an act of retaliation against the capture of several of their men. Because

Powhatan only paid part of her ransom, she was held in captivity for over a year. During

this time, moved to Henrico with one of her captors, where she began education in

Christianity and met John Rolfe, a successful planter. Granted considerable freedom

within the settlement, Pocahontas continued to act as communicator between the

colonists and her people. After Thomas Dale, ruler of Henrico, led over a hundred men to

seize the remainder of her ransom, Pocahontas was sent ashore and reunited with her

brothers, to whom she reported that she was in love with John Rolfe. Though John Rolfe

initially opposed marrying Pocahontas because of her race, he agreed to marry her if she

converted to Christianity. She did so, and their marriage greatly improved relations

between the Powhatans and the Englishmen (Rountree, 1996).

In 1616, Pocahontas travelled to London with her husband and their son. There,

she captured the attention of royalty and sparked public interest in the colonial settlement.

Many Europeans saw her conversion to Christianity as hope for civilizing the natives

they perceived as “savage” (Rountree, 1996). Though she died on her journey back to

Virginia, Pocahontas made a lasting impact on Virginian and American history. As a

child, she promoted friendly relations between the colonists and the Powhatans and

assisted in providing food to the colonists so they could fend off starvation. John Smith

refers to her as “the instrument to pursurve this colonie from death, famine, and utter

  16  

confusion” (Preservation Virginia). Later, her marriage helped to assuage heightening

tensions between the Powhatans and English, and her trip to England altered the

European image of Native Americans. She is an important example of the significant

influence women and children can exert on history.

European women also significantly influenced the course of Virginian history

during the early contact period. The history of early European colonists in America is not

restricted to the men that became famous for exploring the area. Rather, women played

an crucial role in developing successful and prosperous settlements, especially

Jamestown.

Women initially arrived in Jamestown in 1608, after the commercial revenues of

the area were deemed prosperous and the English sought to make Jamestown a

permanent settlement (National Park Service, 2010). The early period of the Jamestown

settlement was marked by starvation and disease, due to the harsh and unfamiliar

environment. However, these conditions persisted largely because of the fact that the

care-taking and food production roles traditionally associated with women were ignored

by men, who instead focused on commercial pursuits (National Women’s History

Museum, 2007). English women played an essential role in creating stability within the

settlement and providing the conditions necessary for it to prosper.

The first women arrived in October of 1608 with the “Second Supply” from

England. One of these women was Anne Burras, a personal maid to Anne Forrest who

came to Jamestown to join her husband Thomas Forrest. Burras was 14 years old when

she arrived in Jamestown and within a year married the carpenter John Layton, which

was described in the writings of John Smith to be the first wedding in Virginia (National

  17  

Women’s History Museum, 2007). As Jamestown was beginning to form into a

permanent settlement, Burras and Layton had a daughter, Virginia, and struggled to raise

a family. Many women, like Burras, raised families and supported the settlement. It was

this contribution to the stabilization process of the settlement ultimately encouraged its

growth (National Women’s History Museum, 2007).

Conclusion

The earliest communities of Virginia hold a rich historical legacy. The

interactions between these early communities of Native Americans and European

explorers laid the groundwork for future conflicts and Native American policy in the

early United States. In addition, the manner of these interactions was essential in shaping

early American domestic and international policy. For example, the differing manner in

which French and English explorers interacted with Virginia tribes shaped the

relationship between the French and English. These interactions provide richer insight

into greater global relationships. The legacy of the earliest Native American tribes in

Virginia still persists today. There are presently eleven organized Native American tribes

in the state, as well as two reservations (Virginia’s First People, 2005). These tribes are

the Pamunky, Mattaponi, Cheroenhaka, Chickahominy of Charles City County and

Chickahominy of New Kent County, Monacan, Nansemond, Patawomeck,

Rappahannock, Cheroenhaka, and Upper Mattaponi. Present-day cultural gatherings, like

the Pow-Wow, have helped to foster a sense of unity amongst these tribes and have

brought their cultural contributions, such as arts, dance, and oral histories, to the attention

of the larger Virginia community. Developing an understanding of the diverse origins of

  18  

the people of Virginia is essential to promoting a greater sense of cultural awareness in

students.

Studying the different communities of early Virginians and the interactions of

diverse groups provides the groundwork for students building an understanding of the

diversity of American culture. Focusing on the early Virginia tribes, such as the

Powhatan, and their interactions with European explorers and settlers, students should

develop an understanding of cultural communication. These historical interactions

indicate that when diverse peoples interact, they do so from varying cultural standpoints

and with differing strategic purposes in mind. Cultural interactions such as those

described in the preceding sections are still happening today in different areas, but are

fundamentally the same. Providing students with an understanding of the diverse origins

of Virginians and the cultural interactions and differing viewpoints of these early

Virginians is essential in developing an open-minded view of the past and how it is

relevant to the present and future.

References

Axtell, J. (1995). The rise and fall of the Powhatan empire: Indians in the Seventeenth-Century

Virginia. Williamsburg: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

Bushnell, D. I. (1940). Virginia before Jamestown. Essays in historical anthropology of North

America, 100. 125-158.

Egloff, K & Woodward, D. (2006). First People: The early Indians of Virginia. University of

Virginia Press.

Fitz Turner Commission for Human Relations and Civil Rights. (1992). Native American

Virginians resource guide.

  19  

Hantman, J. (1990). Between Powhatan and Quirank: Reconstructing Monacan culture and

history. American Anthropologist 92: 676-690.

Hulme, P. & Sherman, W. (2000). “The tempest” and its travels. Philadelphia: Reaktion Books.

Kupperman, K. (2007). Roanoke: the abandoned colony. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield

Publishers.

Lombard, A & Middleton, R. (2011). Colonial America: A History to 1763. Malden: Blackwell

Publishing.

Library of Congress. Virginia’s Early Relations with Native Americans. Retrieved from

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/

timeline/colonial/indians/index.html.

Mirza, R. (2007). The rise and fall of the American empire: A re-interpretation of history.

Victoria: Trafford Publishing.

Mossiker, F. (1996). Pocahontas: the Life and Legend. New York: De Capo Press.

National Center for History in the Schools. (1996). National standards for history basic

education. Retrieved from http://www.nchs.ucla.edu/Standards/Standards

National Park Service. (2010) The indespensible role of women at Jamestown. Retrieved from

http://www.nps.gov/jame/historyculture/the-indispensible-role-of-women-at-

jamestown.htm

National Women’s History Museum. (2007) Building the New World: Women of Jamestown

Settlement. Retrieved from http://nwhm.org/online-exhibits/jamestownwomen/index.htm

Preservation Virginia. Pocahontas. Retrieved from

http://www.preservationvirginia.org/rediscovery/page.php?page_id=26.

  20  

Price, D. (2005). Love and hate in Jamestown: John Smith, Pocahontas, and the start of a new

nation. New York: Random House.

Rountree, H. (1996). Pocahontas’s People: the Powhatan Indians of Virginia Through Four

Centuries. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.

Silver, T. (1990). A new face on the country side: Indians, colonists, and slaves in South Atlantic

forests. New York: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge.

Teachers' Domain. When Did the First Americans Arrive? (2005, October 21). Retrieved

from http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.earthsys.firstpeople/.

Vaughan, A. (2006). Transatlantic encounters: American Indians in Britain 1500- 1776. New

York: Cambridge University Press.

The Virginia Department of Historic Resources. (2011). Retrieved from

http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/arch_NET/timeline/paleo.htm

Virginia Department of Education. (2010). The Standards & SOL-Based Instructional

Resources. Retrieved

from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/index.shtml

Virginia’s First People. (2005) History. Retrieved from

http://virginiaindians.pwnet.org/index.php

Werewocomoco Research Project. History. Retrieved from

http://powhatan.wm.edu/history/index.htm

Zandt, C. (2008) Brothers among nations: the pursuit of intercultural alliances in early America.

New York: Oxford University Press.

  21  

Appendix A

Virginia History & Social Science Standards of Learning aligned with this unit: STANDARD K.1 The student will recognize that history describes events and people of other times and places by

a)identifying examples of past events in legends, stories and historical accounts of Powhatan, Pocahontas, George Washington, Betsy Ross, and Abraham Lincoln;

STANDARD K.4 The student will use simple maps and globes to

a) develop an awareness that a map is a drawing of a place to show where things are located and that a globe is a round model of the Earth;

b) describe places referenced in stories and real-life situations; locate land and water features.

STANDARD 1.7 The student will explain the difference between goods and services and describe how people are consumers and producers of goods and services. STANDARD 1.12 The student will recognize that communities in Virginia

a) have local governments; b) benefit from people who volunteer in their communities; c) include peoplewho have diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions, who make

contributions to their communities, and who are united as Americans by common principles.

STANDARD 2.4 The student will develop map skills by

c) locating the regions of the Powhatan, Lakota, and Pueblo Indians on United States maps; d) understanding the relationship between the environment and the culture of the Powhatan, Lakota, and Pueblo Indians

STANDARD 3.3 The student will study the exploration of the Americas by

a) describing the accomplishments of Christopher Columbus, Juan Ponce de León, Jacques Cartier, and Christopher Newport; b) identifying the reasons for exploring, the information gained, t the results of the travels, and the impact of the travels on American Indians

  22  

STANDARD VS.2d The student will demonstrate knowledge of the physical geography and native peoples, past and present, of Virginia by

d) locating three American Indian language groups (the Algonquian, the Siouan, and the Iroquoian) on a map of Virginia.

STANDARD VS.2e The student will demonstrate knowledge of the physical geography and native peoples, past and present, of Virginia by

e) describing how American Indians related to the climate and their environment to secure food, clothing, and shelter. STANDARD VS.2f The student will demonstrate knowledge of the physical geography and native peoples, past and present of Virginia by

f) describing how archaeologists have recovered new material evidence at sites including Werowocomoco and Jamestown.

STANDARD WHII.4 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the impact of the European Age of Discovery And expansion into the Americas, Africa, and Asia by

a) explaining the roles and economic motivations of explorers and conquistadors; b) describing the influence of religion; c) explaining migration, settlement patterns, cultural diffusion, and social classes in the colonized areas; d) describing the Columbian Exchange, including its impact on native populations e) mapping and explaining the triangular trade; f) describing the impact of precious metal exports from the Americas.

National Standards for History Basic Education aligned with this unit: STANDARD 3: HISTORICAL ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION The student engages in historical analysis and interpretation:

Therefore, the student is able to:

▪ Compare and contrast differing sets of ideas, values, personalities, behaviors, and institutions by identifying likenesses and differences.

▪ Consider multiple perspectives of various peoples in the past by demonstrating their differing motives, beliefs, interests, hopes, and fears.

▪ Analyze cause-and-effect relationships bearing in mind multiple causation including (a) the importance of the individual in history; (b) the influence of ideas, human interests,

  23  

and beliefs; and (c) the role of chance, the accidental and the irrational.

▪ Draw comparisons across eras and regions in order to define enduring issues as well as large-scale or long-term developments that transcend regional and temporal boundaries.

▪ Distinguish between unsupported expressions of opinion and informed hypotheses grounded in historical evidence.

▪ Compare competing historical narratives.

▪ Challenge arguments of historical inevitability by formulating examples of historical contingency, of how different choices could have led to different consequences.

▪ Hold interpretations of history as tentative, subject to changes as new information is uncovered, new voices heard, and new interpretations broached.

▪ Evaluate major debates among historians concerning alternative interpretations of the past.

▪ Hypothesize the influence of the past, including both the limitations and opportunities made possible by past decisions.

  24  

Lesson #1: Map/Globe Skills Title: Map Symbols Topic: Map and Globe Skills Grade Level: K Prepared by: Julia Vans, Lauren Medina, Meagan Taylor Standards: VA SOL K.4 The student will use simple maps and globes to

a) develop an awareness that a map is a drawing of a place to show where things are located and that a globe is a round model of the Earth; b) describe places referenced in stories and real-life situations; locate land and water features.

Time/Materials/Resources: 1 hour; Whole group (20 students), small group, and individual; Large map supplies-large sheet of white paper, construction paper in blue, brown and green with the appropriate outlines drawn on each, markers, strips of paper to make labels; Classroom map supplies-markers, pencils, paper with a classroom outline; Other supplies- map of Virginia with symbols for the James River, Jamestown Settlement, and Weremocomoco (attached); Computer with internet access, projector screen; National Geographic. (2011). America in 1607: Jamestown and the Powhatan. Retrieved

from http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/05/Jamestown/Jamestown-standalone

Virtual Jamestown. (1998). John Smith’s Map of Virginia, 1608. Retrieved from http://www.virtualjamestown.org/jsmap_large.html

Werewocomoco Research Project. History. Retrieved from http://powhatan.wm.edu/history/index.htm

Background Information: The settlers from England, led by Captain John Smith, first arrived in Jamestown, VA on May 13, 1607. They immediately began to explore the area, travelling the James, York, Rappahannock, and Potomac Rivers. In 1608, Smith led two voyages from Jamestown to explore and map the Chesapeake Bay (Virtual Jamestown, 1998). Jamestown, located along the banks of the James River, was the first permanent English settlement in North America. During these explorations, Smith and the English encountered many diverse Native American tribes including the Powhatan, whose villages occupied the Tidewater region, from the banks of the Chesapeake Bay to the Fall Line. Chief Powhatan was the leader of these 32 tribes and villages of Algonquin speaking Native Americans united as the Powhatan Paramount Chiefdom, which was headquartered at Werowocomoco. Evidence from a 1608 map by John Smith illustrates the location of Werowocomoco on present-day Purtan Bay. (Werowocomoco Research Project). Many interactions between the Native Americans and the English took place at Werowocomoco. Instructional Procedures Anticipatory Set: Ask the students what they recall learning about Pocahontas, John Smith, and Chief Powhatan. As the students recount what they have learned about the interactions between these people, ask the students where these events took place. Ask the students how they might be able to show others where these events happened. Prompt students to consider pictures that have given information about a place. Ask students if they see any pictures in the room that give them information about a place. Draw their attention to any maps in the classroom. Tell the students that pictures that give information about a place are called maps. (5 minutes)

  25  

Behavioral Objectives: 1. Given a map of VA with symbols for the James River, Jamestown Settlement, and Werewocomo, students will identify the corresponding symbols. 2. Given examples of the function of symbols on a map, students will be able to use symbols to create a map of the classroom.

Instructional Input: Project Smith’s “Virginia” on a screen. Tell the students that Smith made this map to tell people in his home country, England, about his new home in Virginia. Ask students what they see on the map. Ask students what the trees mean. Ask if they think that Smith’s picture shows every tree in Virginia. Explain that John Smith used a few pictures of trees to show that there were a lot of trees in Virginia. Tell them that when a picture means or represents something else, it is called a symbol. Ask if they see any other symbols on Smith’s map. Ask how students could guess what these symbols mean. Zoom in on a section of the map that shows symbols of forts or reed covered houses. Ask the students if they can find any symbols for houses on the map. As students point out various symbols of houses, ask them if they think it was a Native American or European house and why. Explain that Europeans and Native Americans made their houses in different ways. Access National Geographic site and show examples of the different residences. Ask what is different. Return to the Smith map and ask students again which symbols they think represent Native American homes and which symbols represent European homes. Ask them what they notice about that house that is different from the houses at Werowocomoco. Ask students if they can find symbols on the map that might represent where this type of house was built. (15 minutes) Modeling: Tell the class that they will work together to make a large classroom map with these symbols. Project the blank Tidewater map onto the large sheet of paper on the wall. Color all bodies of water and ask students what the blue means. Tell the students that you used blue to show important bodies of water. Label the James River and tell the students that the places they have been learning about are near the James River. (5 minutes) Guided Practice: Divide the students into groups of 5. Explain that each group will make a symbol for the map. Assign groups for the following features: Jamestown fort, Werowocomoco, trees, Powhatan houses. Distribute supplies and instruct to cut along the along the marked lines. When finished, place the symbols on the map together. (10 minutes) Check For Understanding: Give the students the map with symbols. Point out that there are 3 letter choices on the map next to the symbols: A, B, and C. Ask the students to pick the letter next to the symbol that represents Werewocomoco. (5 minutes) Independent Practice: Explain that map symbols can be used to represent real places today, just like in the Virginia map made by John Smith and that maps can be used to share knowledge of places. Tell students that they will re-create the map they made as a class to share with someone at home. Distribute a paper with the map of Virginia to each student and explain that they should include the three symbols that are on the large-scale map. (15 minutes) Closure: When students complete their maps, tell them to share their map with the student sitting across from them and to explain one symbol from their map to their partner. (5 minutes) Evaluation

  26  

1. Formative-Student participation and responses in creating the large-scale map

2. Summative- A)Circle the symbol on the map that represents Werecomoco:

a.    

b.      

c.    B)Students individual map contains 3 symbols.

  27  

Blank Map of Virginia:  

     

  28  

Lesson #2: Critical Thinking and the Arts Title: Wampum Belts Topic: Visual Arts Grade Level: K Prepared by: Julia Vans, Meagan Taylor and Lauren Medina Standards: VA SOL K.2: The student will describe everyday life in the present and in the past and begin to recognize that things change over time. National Standards for Art Education (Visual Arts): (K-4) Content Standard 3: Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas Materials, Time, Space: Map of Native American tribes, picture of Canandaigua Treaty wampum belt, construction paper cut into rectangles, dry pasta shells, glue, teacher created model of wampum belt; 1 hr; Whole group (20 students) in area with access to computer/projection, individual work at students desks/tables. Objectives: 1. Given information on the purpose of the wampum belt, students will be able to explain that the wampum belts were used by diverse Native American groups to tell stories and trade. 2. After seeing and discussing a Native American wampum belt, the student will create a wampum belt that tells a story about an activity that they do with their family. Lesson Description: Introduction: Introduce the topic by asking students to recall Columbus Day, as this is something they will likely have learned about. Point out Columbus’s voyage on a map and where he landed. Explain that though this part of the world was new to him, he did not discover it because there were people already living there. State that these people lived had there for a long time and lived very differently from Columbus; when Columbus returned home, he shared his discoveries and other people were interested in exploring this side of the world too. Elaborate that eventually people came and wanted to live in the area that we live in, Virginia. Explain that just like Columbus, they found that people were already living there and we call these people Native Americans. Elaborate and explain that there was not just one Native American culture, rather just like our country today the Native American community was made up of diverse groups. Explain that there were different tribes of Native Americans with different languages, different types of homes and different arts. To reinforce this idea, show students the map and point out how the different colors on the map indicate the different tribes. Explain that one way people who study the past learn about Native American cultures is to study their art. Explain that Native American tribes made lots of different kinds of art, some unique to their culture. Content Focus: Introduce the wampum belt and explain that this was a form of art that lots of tribes made. Explain that it is not a belt that people wore, but they had pictures and helped tell stories to help people remember events. Tell students that it was made of shells, because they were an available resource for tribes that lived near the water, like the Powhatan that lived in the Williamsburg area. Tell students that when people from Europe came, Native American tribes traded these to share stories about the people and events in their lives. Explain that Native American tribes and Europeans always agree or get along but they still traded resources and arts with each other. Explain that belts showed stories of agreements made between Native American groups with each other and

  29  

also people from Europe. Bring up the picture of the example wampum belt. Explain to students that they will be making their own wampum belts. Show the example and explain that it is called the Covenant belt. Tell students that “covenant” is a word that means promise. Explain that this belt shows a promise of friendship between the United States and the Native Americans. Key Questions: Objective: What do you notice about the belt? What are the people in the picture doing? What is in the center of the belt? What colors do you see? Reflective: How does this picture make you feel? Does this remind you of anything you’ve seen before? Interpretive: Why do you think the people are holding hands? Why do you think there are 13 people? What story do you think the Native Americans are trying to tell? Why do you think they used those colors? Decisional: What does this belt tell us about the Native Americans and the colonists? What story would you tell in your wampum belt? Explain to students that they will now be making their own wampum belts, by gluing shells on their paper. Tell students that their wampum belt “will tell a story about an activity that you do with your family.” Show students the model and tell them about the story depicted by the teacher. Have students return to their individual tables and pass out materials needed to create wampum belts. Allow students to work and ask students individually to tell about what story their belt is showing. Closure: When students have completed work, ask if there are any students that would like to share the story in their wampum belts. Reiterate that the wampum belt told stories about Native American cultures and about interactions between Native American tribes and European explorers and colonists. Evaluation: Formative: Student participation in discussion about wampum belt. Student’s description of the story in the wampum belt they created. Summative: The completed wampum belt. What did Native Americans use wampum belts for?

A. to wear as clothing B. to trade and tell stories C. to use as decoration

Background: Wampum belts are woven belts consisting of purple and white mollusk shell beads. The Virginia Powhatan tribe was one of many that made wampum, which was intended to tell stories or commemorate events, treaties or alliances. Upon European contact, the wampum became a valuable trading resource and eventually began to be used like currency between Native American tribes and Europeans (Woven Wampum Beadwork, 2011). The Covenant belt was made at the request of George Washington and presented to the Haudenosaunee tribe. It exemplifies some of the most common traits of the wampum belt in that it depicts an agreement forged between the newly formed United States and a Native American tribe, the Haudenosaunee. At six feet long, the belt is a symbol of friendship with representations of both cultures. The thirteen figures represent the U.S. and its thirteen states, while the two figures and the longhouse at the center represent the Haudenosaunee tribe (Wampum, 2011). All of the figures are connected by a line symbolizing a wampum belt to solidify friendship, unity, and peace. Resources:

  30  

The Covenant belt (1794).  Wampum. (2011). Ganondagan. Retrieved from: http://www.ganondagan.org/wampum.html Woven Wampum Beadwork. (1994). NativeTech: Native American Technology and Art. Retrieved from: http://www.nativetech.org/wampum/wamphist.htm

  31  

Lesson #3: Civic Engagement

Pocahontas:  a  diplomat  Audience:  4th  grade                   Lesson  Preparer:  Meagan  Taylor  History  Standards:  VS.3g:   The student will demonstrate knowledge of the first permanent English settlement of

America by g) describing the interactions between the English settlers and the native peoples, including the contributions of Powhatan to the survival of the settlers.

National Standard 3: Historical Analysis and Interpretation: The student engages in historical analysis and interpretation

English Standards: 4.7d:        The  student  will  write  effective  narratives,  poems,  and  explanations.  d)  Write  

several  related  paragraphs  on  the  same  topic.    Objectives: 1) Given critical attributes of a diplomat, a brief overview of Pocahontas’ life and three primary sources, students will identify evidence that Pocahontas was a diplomat. 2) After a class discussion the ways in which Pocahontas acted as a diplomat, students will write a three-paragraph essay explaining the impact of Pocahontas’ diplomacy on relationships between Native Americans and the Jamestown colonists. Materials/Space/Time: 1 hr., space for whole group instruction and small group work, ~ 20 students, a computer with internet access, projector, picture of Hillary Clinton (Available: http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1733748_1733757_1736049,00.html), Pocahontas by Victoria Garret Jones, document camera, copies of the attached primary source sheets for each group (~7), copies of the attached graphic organizers for each student Lesson Description: Introduction: Project the image of Hillary Clinton. Ask students who she is and what her job is. Explain that Hillary Clinton is the Secretary of State for our country. She meets with leaders of other countries, talks to them about problems between their country and our own, and works with them to come up with agreements to fix the problems. Explain that Hillary Clinton is a diplomat. Explain that a diplomat is a person who represents one group to another and solves problems between groups. Brainstorm with the class the skills and traits a good diplomat would need. Appropriate answers may include sensitive, caring, has good listening skills, communication skills, and problem-solving skills. Write the definition of a diplomat and these characteristics on the board. Content focus: Tell the students that Pocahontas is one key example of a diplomat who worked to solve problems between the Powhatan tribes and the Jamestown colonists in the early 1600s. Explain that much of what we know about Pocahontas comes from stories shared by Native Americans living today as well as art and writing by Jamestown colonists and other Europeans. The stories told in these sources are often very different. Ask the students why stories told by Native Americans and Europeans might be different. Explain that the students will be examining primary sources so they can investigate some of these stories themselves. Provide students a framework for understanding the sources by displaying the timeline at the front of Pocahontas by Victoria Jones on the document camera. Draw the students’ attention to important events such as her birth, John Smith’s capture by Powhatan Native Americans, her kidnapping, her baptism, her marriage to John Rolfe, her visit to England, and her death there. Ask students if they see mention of any problems that colonists faced in the timeline. Draw their attention to the mention of starvation. Suggest that was one of the problems Pocahontas helped solve as a diplomat, but they will have to examine their sources to find evidence of the many other ways she acted as a diplomat.

  32  

Divide the students into groups of three. Distribute one copy of each source to each group, then, distribute a copy of the graphic organizers to each student. Explain that one student in each group will become an expert each source. If there are four students in a group due to the number of students, have two students work together on one source. Let the students decide who will be responsible for which source. Regroup the students so all the students working on Source 1 are together, all the students working on Source 2 are together, and all the students working on Source 3 are together. Instruct the students to read the background information included with their source first, look at the questions, and then examine the source with those questions in mind. Direct the students to fill in the information they acquire on the graphic organizer for their source. They can work with group if they need help. After students have completed their graphic organizer for their source, have them return to their original groups and take turns reporting what they learned. Students should complete the graphic organizers for the sources they did not personally examine based on the information each source expert shares. Closure: Bring the whole class back together to share their conclusions about the ways that Pocahontas acted as a diplomat. Ask the students how Pocahontas shaped the relationship between the Powhatan and the Jamestown colonists. Write down their ideas on the board. For homework, direct the students to use their graphic organizers and the ideas they brainstormed to respond to this prompt: “Write three paragraphs explaining how Pocahontas’ actions changed relationships between the Jamestown colonists and the Powhatan Native Americans. Provide at least three examples of how Pocahontas acted as a diplomat.” Assessment: Formative; Monitor student progress on the graphic organizers and contribution to small group discussion. Summative: Which of the following best describes a diplomat? a) A person who manages the money of a group b) A person who makes all the decisions for a group c) A person who helps to solve problems between groups d) A person who keeps all the records for a group Collect student essays and graphic organizers. Look for thorough completion of graphic organizers and evidence of critical thought in analysis of primary resources. Evaluate the extent to which the three examples provided in student essays evidence understanding of Pocahontas as a diplomat. Background information: The most popular story of Pocahontas tells how she saved John Smith from being killed by her father, Chief Powhatan. The Disney version of the story even suggests Pocahontas and John Smith were in love (Price, 2005). In reality, Pocahontas, called Matoaka at the time, was only ten or eleven years old when she met John Smith at her fathers’ home in Werowocomoco in 1908. Some historians think that Pocahontas did not rescue John Smith. Instead, they think Pocahontas pretended to rescue him as part of an adoption ritual, or ceremony (Rountree, 1996) Even though many of the stories about Pocahontas are false, historical evidence shows she was an important diplomat who solved problems between Powhatan and the Jamestown colonists. During the early years of the colony, she brought food from the Powhatan to the starving colonists. This helped the two groups get along until drought in 1609 made it difficult for the Powhatan to grow and share food. To get food, the English started a war against the Powhatan. This made the Powhatan angry, so they planned to kill John Smith the next time he visited Werewocomoco, but Pocahontas warned him. To make the Powhatan give them food, the English decided to kidnap Pocahontas in 1613. While she was kidnapped, the colonists made her go to a Christian school. During her time as a prisoner, she met a planter named John Rolfe. Pocahontas married this man and took on the name Rebecca. Their marriage started a period of peace. Thomas Dale, governor of Virginia hoped the couple could make people in England want to invest in the Virginia Company. He invited them and their son to join him on a journey to promote the Virginia Company in England in 1616. While in England, Pocahontas died, but both

  33  

the Powhatan and the English remember her as important because she helped bring peace between the two groups (Rountree, 1996).  Source  1:  Pocahontas  by  Simon  Van  de  Passe  Smithsonian  Center  for  Education  and  Museum  Studies.      (2007)  Pocahontas  Engraving.  

Smithsonian  source:  resources  for  teaching  American  history.  Retrieved  26  October,  2011  from  http://www.smithsoniansource.org/display/primarysource/viewdetails.aspx?PrimarySourceId=1199  

 

 

  34  

   About  the  source:  

When  Thomas  Dale  was  the  governor  of  Virginia,  he  became  worried  that  people  in  London  were  not  interested  in  Jamestown  or  Virginia  anymore.    He  worried  that  if  people  in  England  were  not  interested  in  Virginia  anymore,  they  would  not  give  their  money  to  support  the  colony.    To  get  people  interested  again,  he  decided  to  go  back  to  London  and  bring  Native  Americans  with  him.    Most  people  in  England  had  never  seen  a  Native  American  before,  so  this  would  make  them  very  excited.    In    1616,  he  returned  to  London  with  twelve  Native  Americans.    One  of  these  Native  Americans  was  Pocahontas,  who  went  with  her  husband,  John  Rolfe,and  their  son.  

    While  she  was  there,  Thomas  Dale  and  John  Rolfe  introduced  Pocahontas  to  the  royal  family  and  many  important  people  in  London.    Pocahontas  fascinated  people  in  London.  People  were  very  curious  about  Pocahontas  because  they  had  never  met  anyone  like  her  before.       While  Pocahontas  was  in  London,  an  artist  named  Simon  Van  de  Passe  drew  this  portrait  of  her.    It  is  the  only  known  portrait  that  was  made  of  her  while  she  was  alive.    At  the  bottom  of  the  picture,  Van  de  Passe  wrote  this  caption:    “Matoaka,  also  known  as  Rebecka,  daughter  to  the  mighty  prince  Powhatan  Emperor  of  Virginia,  baptized  in  the  Christian  faith,  and  wife  to  Mr.  

  35  

John  Rolfe.”    Because  Pocahontas  was  there,  she  may  have  been  able  to  tell  him  how  she  wanted  to  be  drawn.      Van  de  Passe  planned  to  make  money  by  selling  copies  of  the  portrait  to  the  many  people  in  England  who  were  interested  in  Pocahontas.      Many  later  artists  used  this  portrait  to  decide  how  they  wanted  to  draw  Pocahontas  (Lewis,  2007).          

Questions  to  think  about:    What  is  Pocahontas  wearing?  Do  you  think  she  would  be  wearing  this  is  she  was  living  with  the  Powhatan?    Why  do  you  think  Pocahontas  might  have  chosen  to  be  drawn  this  way?    Why  do  you  think  Van  de  Passe  included  the  information  he  did  in  the  caption?                                      

  36  

 Source  2:    Excerpts  from  John  Smith’s  1616  Letter  to  Queen  Anne  Digital  History.  John  Smith’s  1616  Letter  to  Queen  Anne  of  Great  Britain.    Retrieved  26  

October,  2011  from  http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/learning_history/pocohontas/pocahontas_smith_letter.cfm.  

 

About  the  source:       When  Pocahontas  visited  Jamestown,  she  spent  a  lot  of  her  time  talking  with  John  Smith.  In  1609,  John  Smith  got  hurt  very  badly  in  a  gunpowder  explosion.  When  Pocahontas  went  to  visit  Jamestown  soon  after  that  happened,  she  was  told  that  John  Smith  was  dead.    Really,  he  had  gone  back  to  London  to  get  better.       In  1616,  Captain  John  Smith  found  out  that  Pocahontas  was  coming  to  London  with  her  husband  John  Rolfe.    John  Smith  wanted  to  make  sure  that  Pocahontas  was  treated  the  way  she  deserved,  so  he  wrote  a  letter  to  Queen  Anne  to  tell  her  about  Pocahontas.    When  Pocahontas  arrived,  she  found  out  that  John  Smith  really  was  not  dead  and  was  able  to  see  him  after  many  years  (Jones,  2010).           These  are  excerpts,  or  parts,  of  that  letter  that  John  Smith  wrote  to  Queen  Anne.    The  words  in  bold  are  words  you  may  not  know.    Use  the  glossary  for  each  excerpt  to  help  you  figure  out  what  these  words  mean.      

  37  

Excerpt  1:    She  frequented  Jamestown  as  freely  as  her  father’s  habitation;  and  during  the  time  of  two  or  three  years,  she  next  under  God  was  still  the  instrument  to  preserve  this  colony  from  death,  famine,  and  confusion.    

Glossary  frequented:  often  went  to    habitation:  home  instrument:  tool  preserve:  keep  safe  famine:  extreme  scarcity  of  food      Excerpt  2:    About  two  years  after  she  herself  was  taken  prisoner,  being  detained  near  two  years  longer,  the  colony  was  by  those  means  relieved,  peace  came;  and  at  last  rejecting  her  barbarous  condition,  she  was  married  to  an  English  Gentleman,  who  at  this  present  she  is  with  in  England.        

Glossary  detained:  held  prisoner  by  those  means:  in  that  way  barbarous:  uncivilized  present:  at  this  time    

  38  

   Excerpt  3:  After  some  six  weeks  fatting  amongst  Savage    courtiers,  at  the  minute  of  my  execution,  she  hazarding  the  beating  out  of  her  own  brain  to  save  mine;  and  not  only  that  but  prevailed  with  her  father,  so  that  I  was  safely  conducted  to  Jamestown.    

Glossary    fatting:  feasting,  eating  well  courtiers:  hosts  prevailed  with:  won  over  conducted:  taken        Questions  to  think  about:    According  to  John  Smith,  how  did  Pocahontas  help  the  Jamestown  colony?    According  to  John  Smith,  what  did  Pocahontas  do  to  help  him  personally?    Why  does  John  Smith  use  mean  words  like  “Savage”  and  “barbarous”  to  describe  someone  who  helped  him  and  the  colony?      

  39  

Source  3:    “The  Pocahontas  Myth”  by  Chief  Roy  Crazy  Horse  of  the  Powhatan  Renape  Nation    Crazy  Horse,  R.  The  Pocahontas  Myth.  Rankokus  Indian  Reservation.  Retrieved  26  October,  

2011  from  http://www.powhatan.org/pocc.html  

 About  the  source:     Today,  many  of  the  descendants  of  the  Powhatan  Native  Americans  who  lived  long  ago  are  a  part  of  what  is  now  called  Powhatan  Renape  Nation.    Renape  is  an  Algonquian  word  meaning  “true  humans.”    Some  of  the  members  of  this  Nation  live  on  a  reservation  in  New  Jersey.     After  the  Disney  movie  Pocahontas  came  out  in  1995,  the  Chief  of  the  Powhatan  Renape  Nation,  Chief  Roy  Crazy  Horse,  wrote  an  angry  essay  in  response  to  the  movie.     These  are  excerpts,  or  parts,  of  that  letter  that  John  Smith  wrote  to  Queen  Anne.    The  words  in  bold  are  words  you  may  not  know.    Use  the  glossary  for  each  excerpt  to  help  you  figure  out  what  these  words  mean.      Excerpt  1:      In  1995,  Roy  Disney  decided  to  release  an  animated  movie  about  a  Powhatan  woman  known  as  "Pocahontas".  In  answer  to  a  complaint  by  the  Powhatan  Nation,  he  claims  the  film  is  "responsible,  accurate,  and  respectful."          

  40  

We  of  the  Powhatan  Nation  disagree.  The  film  distorts  history  beyond  recognition.  Our  offers  to  assist  Disney  with  cultural  and  historical  accuracy  were  rejected.  Our  efforts  urging  him  to  reconsider  his  misguided  mission  were  spurred.    accurate:  correct  distort:  give  the  wrong  idea  about  urging:  asking  misguided:  wrong,  mistaken  spurred:  made  something  happen    Excerpt  2:  

Of all of Powhatan's children, only "Pocahontas" is known, primarily because she became the hero of Euro-Americans as the "good Indian", one who saved the life of a white man. Not only is the "good Indian/bad Indian theme" inevitably given new life by Disney, but the history, as recorded by the English themselves, is badly falsified in the name of "entertainment"

The truth of the matter is that the first time John Smith told the story about this rescue was 17 years after it happened… Yet in an account Smith wrote after his winter stay with Powhatan's people, he never mentioned such an incident. In fact, the starving adventurer reported he had been kept comfortable and treated in a friendly fashion as an honored guest of Powhatan and Powhatan's brothers. Most scholars think the "Pocahontas incident" would have been highly unlikely, especially since it was part of a longer account used as justification to wage war on Powhatan's Nation. Euro-Americans must ask themselves why it

  41  

has been so important to elevate Smith's fibbing to status as a national myth worthy of being recycled again by Disney.

primarily:  mainly  inevitably:  in  a  way  that  could  not  have  been  prevented  falsified:  made  false  justification:  reason  elevate:    to  make  popular  myth:  legend    status:  position    Questions  to  think  about:    Why  is  Chief  Roy  Crazy  Horse  angry  about  the  Disney  movie  Pocahontas?    Why  does  Chief  Roy  Crazy  Horse  think  the  story  of  Pocahontas  told  in  the  Disney  movie  is  so  popular?    

 

  42  

Pocahontas  Source  1   Who:  Who  is  the  author  or  artist?  

When:    When  was  the  source  made?      

Where:  Where  was  the  source  made?      

Why:    Why  did  the  author  or  artist  make  the  source?          

What:  Describe  the  source  and  the  message  of  the  source.    What  information  does  the  text  tell  us  about  Pocahontas?  

How  does  this  source  show  Pocahontas  being  a  diplomat?  _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  

  43  

Pocahontas  Source  2   Who:  Who  is  the  author  or  artist?  

When:    When  was  the  source  made?      

Where:  Where  was  the  source  made?      

Why:    Why  did  the  author  or  artist  make  the  source?          

What:  Describe  the  source  and  the  message  of  the  source.    What  information  does  the  text  tell  us  about  Pocahontas?  

How  does  this  source  show  Pocahontas  being  a  diplomat?  _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  

  44  

Pocahontas  Source  3   Who:  Who  is  the  author  or  artist?  

When:    When  was  the  source  made?      

Where:  Where  was  the  source  made?      

Why:    Why  did  the  author  or  artist  make  the  source?          

What:  Describe  the  source  and  the  message  of  the  source.    What  information  does  the  text  tell  us  about  Pocahontas?  

How  does  this  source  show  Pocahontas  being  a  diplomat?  _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  

  45  

Resources:    Crazy  Horse,  R.  The  Pocahontas  Myth.  Rankokus  Indian  Reservation.  Retrieved  26  October,      

2011  from  http://www.powhatan.org/pocc.html    Digital  History.  John  Smith’s  1616  Letter  to  Queen  Anne  of  Great  Britain.    Retrieved  26  

October,         2011  from         http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/learning_history/pocohontas/pocahontas_smith_le

tter.cfm    Jones,  V.  (2010).  Pocahontas.  New  York:  Sterling  Publishing  Company.    Lewis,  S.  (2007).    Changing  images  of  Pocahontas.  Public  Broadcasting  Services:    

 NOVA.  Retrieved  26  October,  2011  from      http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/images-­‐pocahontas.html.      

 Smithsonian  Center  for  Education  and  Museum  Studies.      (2007)  Pocahontas  Engraving.         Smithsonian  source:  resources  for  teaching  American  history.  Retrieved  26  October,      

2011  from  http://www.smithsoniansource.org/display/primarysource/viewdetails.aspx?    PrimarySourceId=1199.  

   

                     

  46  

Lesson #4: Global Inquiry Purpose: Students will understand the tensions between current Native Americans and state governments in regard to the preservation of land and cultural customs. Grade Level/Time/Space: Grade Level 6/ three 1 hour lessons/ Whole Group (20-25 students), Individual, Small groups (4-5 students), Large groups (Split the Class in Half); Students should have access to computers. Standards: Social Studies Standards of Learning for Virginia USII.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis and responsible citizenship, including the ability to: a) analyze and interpret primary and secondary source documents to increase understanding of events and life in United States history from 1865 to the present b) make connections between the past and the present; e) evaluate and debate issues orally and in writing; NCSS Global Connections d. [The student will] explore the causes, consequences, and possible solutions to persistent, contemporary, and emerging global issues, such as health, security, resource allocation, economic development, and environmental quality. Objectives: 1. Given a quote on from Chief Carl Lone Eagle Custalow and background information on the Mattaponi River issue, students will generate a list of reactions and questions about the issue. 2. Given a list of suggested resources, the students will research the issue in small groups and record the answers to their initial questions. 3. Given background information on the issue based on prior research, students will argue an assigned side of the issue in the form of a class debate. Procedure: 1. Introduction (Day 1) Catalyst: Read aloud to students two excerpts and quote from Chief Carl Lone Eagle Custalow of the Mattaponi tribe from the Sacred Land Film Project article: Excerpt 1: “The Mattaponi River, considered by the Mattaponi Tribe in Virginia to be the place where life begins, will be impacted by a proposed reservoir and dam project that will pump water from the river and could damage its ecosystem. Reports by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and other environmental agencies have disagreed over the extent of the environmental and cultural damage of the project, while the Mattaponi remain opposed. “This river is the lifeblood of this reservation because it’s allowed our people, our culture, and this reservation to survive. Whoever controls water in an area controls everything else,” says Carl Lone Eagle Custalow, assistant chief of the Mattaponi” (Sacred Land Film Project). Excerpt 2: “The Mattaponi continue to claim that the damming of the creek and the creation of the reservoir would flood wetlands, streams, ancestral sites, and wildlife habitat. They unsuccessfully filed suit against the State Water Control Board’s decision. The state Department of Environmental Quality still has to approve the project in terms of its impact on the Atlantic coast. The City of Newport News made progress when the Division Army Corps ruled that the process should go forward, a decision that requires further research into the possibilities for mitigation. Questions to be resolved include (1) whether or not the projected need for water in the region is great enough to justify the environmental impact; (2) the extent of the environmental impact, most importantly on

  47  

reduced wetlands and the shad population; and (3) whether or not the Mattaponi can be compensated for the cultural and spiritual loss they may suffer as a result of the flooding of burial grounds and the effect on the shad harvest.” (Sacred Land Film Project) Give each child a copy of the excerpts and guide them to share their initial reactions. Ask the students “What is the conflict in these passages?” Ask the students “Where does this conflict take place?” Hand out worksheet packet. On worksheet #1 “Mattaponi River Investigation”, instruct the students to individually list two observations and two questions about the excerpt. Explain to the students that these excerpts are from an article written in 2003. Have the students write a hypothesis about whether or not the reservoir project ended up happening. Next, break the students into groups of four. Have each group share their observations and questions with one another. Instruct each group to select two of their questions to try to answer using the internet to research. Provide the students with the following resources: Sacred Land Film Project: http://www.sacredland.org/mattaponi-river/ King William Reservoir: http://www.virginiaplaces.org/watersheds/kwreservoir.html Virginia’s First People: Mattaponi http://virginiaindians.pwnet.org/today/mattaponi.php National Trust for Historic Preservation: http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/diversity/native-american-heritage-in-preservation/saved-places/mattaponi-river.html Rock the Earth: http://www.rocktheearth.org/newsletter/2005-08/index.html 2. Content Focus (Day 2) Instruct students to get back in their groups from the last class. Guide the students to pair up with one other group and share their questions and the answers they found. (2 groups of 8 students) Ask each group to pick their two best facts to share with the class. Have a spokesperson from each group share two facts with the class. As they share, write their facts on the board. Next, have students return to their groups. Instruct students to help each other fill out the Perspectives worksheet about the Mattaponi river dispute. 3. Closure (Day 3) Tell the students to get into the 8 person groups that they were working in yesterday. Assign one group to compile their best arguments for the position of Pro- Mattaponi Reservoir. Assign the other group to compile their best arguments against the Reservoir. Hold a classroom debate about the issue. Each student in the class will contribute one argument. First, the pro-reservoir side will share their arguments and next, the anti-Reservoir side. After the debate, guide the students in a debriefing discussion on the cause and effect of tensions between Native American tribes and state governments. Evaluation/Assessment: Formative: Student engagement in class discussions and active contribution to group work.

  48  

Summative: Multiple Choice Question: Which is a reason that Mattaponi river is important to the Mattaponi Tribe? a) The Mattaponi use the river for ceremonial cleansing of clothing. b) The Mattaponi are the legal owners of the river. c) Fishing for shad is an important part of Mattaponi culture. d) River raft building is an important part of Mattaponi culture. Essay Question: Describe two different perspectives on the possibility of a Reservoir drawing from the Mattaponi River. (2 points) For each perspective give 2 arguments. (4 points) Explain what this issue tells us about Native American culture and their relationship with the land. (4 points) Background Information: The Mattaponi are a Native American tribe of Virginia who trace their roots back to Chief Powhatan and Pocahontas (Virginia’s First People).They are one of the two Native American tribes that have reservations in Virginia. The Mattaponi reservation is located along the Mattaponi River in King William, Virginia. The Mattaponi have occupied this reservation since 1658 (Virginia’s First People). In the early 1990s, the City of Newport News proposed the idea of creating a dam and reservoir on Cohoke Creek in order to meet the region’s water needs. This reservoir would draw up to 75 million gallons of water per day from the Mattaponi River (Preservation Nation). The Mattaponi River is an extremely important part of the lives of the Mattaponi Indians. The Mattaponi fish for Shad in the River. American Shad is a staple in the Mattaponi diet and a major part of their culture. Additionally, the cultural beliefs of the Mattaponi hold that the tribe is responsible for protecting the land around them and preserving natural resources. In March 2001, Colonel Allan B. Carroll of the local U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spoke out against the water project: "…the tribes cannot be fully compensated for the losses to their spiritual connections, culture and traditional socioeconomic practices that they would experience as a result of the construction of the reservoir." (Preservation Nation). Several environmental groups also fought against the construction of the reservoir because of the negative impact it would have on the environment. In spite of this, the city of Newport News and Governor Jim Gilmore fought to move on with the project. In 2005, the U.S Army Corps of Engineers issued a permit for the filling of wetlands within the reservoir boundaries. (Preservation Nation) In spite of this permit, efforts to prevent the project from happening continued. In September 2009, “Newport News Mayor Joe Frank announced that the city's effort to develop the reservoir was over.” (Preservation Nation) Bibliography Grimes, Charlie (2011). King William Reservoir. Retrieved November 6, 2011, From ffffffffhttp://www.virginiaplaces.org/watersheds/kwreservoir.html National Trust for Historic Preservation (2011). Mattaponi River. Retrieved November 3, 2011,

  49  

From http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/diversity/native-american-heritage-in- preservation/saved-places/mattaponi-river.html

Rock The Earth (2005). The Mattaponi River and Cohoke Creek Need Your Help! Retrieved ddddddNovember 3, 20011 from http://www.rocktheearth.org/newsletter/2005-08/index.html Sacred Land Film Project (2003, July 1). Mattaponi River. Retrieved November 3, 2011, from sssssss http://www.sacredland.org/mattaponi-river/ Virginia’s First People (2005). Virginia Indians Today: Mattaponi. Retrieved November 3, 2002, sssssssfrom http://virginiaindians.pwnet.org/today/mattaponi.php

  50  

Student Worksheets with examples of student responses:

Mattaponi River Investigation My observations: 1. The City of Newport News wants to pump water from the Mattaponi River into a reservoir. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. The river is important to the Mattaponi Tribe. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ My questions:

1. How does a reservoir work? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What kind of fish are shad fish?

2.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ My Hypothesis: I think the Mattaponi Indians will save the river because the chief said that the river was very important to the Tribe.

Answers:

1. A reservoir is a place where you can gather water and store it for later. Source:_______  http://www.virginiaplaces.org/watersheds/kwreservoir.html ______________________________________________________________________________

2. Shad fish are called “American Shad”. They are medium sized fish and they are a grayish-silver color.

  51  

Source: ________  http://www.virginiaplaces.org/watersheds/kwreservoir.html _______________________________________________________________________

Perspectives Instructions: Using online resources, find the following information. Include at least three different sources to find your answers:

1. What was the Mattaponi River dispute about? The City of Newport News wanted to create a reservoir so the city would have enough water. They wanted to pump the water from the Mattaponi river. The Mattaponi Native Americans were against this idea because the river is very important to them. Source: http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/diversity/native-american-heritage-in- preservation/saved-places/mattaponi-river.html 2. Describe one perspective on the issue: We should build a reservoir and get water from the Mattaponi River. Who held this point of view?_The City of Newport News. Why did they think this? They needed more water for all the people in the city. Source(s): http://www.virginiaplaces.org/watersheds/kwreservoir.html 3. Describe a second perspective on the issue: They should not pump water from the Mattaponi River for a reservoir. * Who held this point of view? The Mattaponi Tribe *Why did they think this? The Mattaponi use the river to fish for shad. Pumping the river might threaten the fish. Also, in the Mattaponi culture, they feel a responsibility to take care of the environment. Pumping the river might be bad for the environment. Source:  http://www.sacredland.org/mattaponi-­‐river/      

                 

  52  

 Inquiry  Lesson  Rubric-­‐  Lesson  4  

     

25  points  total  possible  

Exceeds  Expectations   Meets  Expectations   Below  Expectations  

Class  participation  

 60%  

(15  points  possible)  

Day  one:  Student  participates  in  class  discussion;  Student  fully  completes  Mattaponi  Investigation  Worksheet    (5  points)  Day  two:    Student  participates  in  class  discussions  and  contributes  to  group  discussions;  Student  fully  completes  Perspectives  worksheet  (5  points)  Day  three:    Student  contributes  to  class  debate  and  debriefing  discussion.  (5  points)  

Day  one:  Student  participates  in  class  discussion;  Student  completes  most  of  Mattaponi  Investigation  Worksheet    (3)  Day  two:    Student  contributes  to  group  discussions;  Student    completes  most  of  Perspectives  worksheet  (3)  Day  three:    Student  contributes  to  class  debate.  (3)  

Day  one:  Student    does  not  participate  in  class  discussion;  Student  does  not  complete  Mattaponi  Investigation  Worksheet  (2  or  less)  Day  two:    Student  does  not  participate  in  class  discussions  or  contributes  to  group  discussions;  Student  does  not  complete  Perspectives  worksheet  (2  or  less)  Day  three:    Student  does  not  contribute  to  class  debate  or  debriefing  discussion.  (2  or  less)  

Essay  Question  40%  

(10  points  possible)  

8-­‐10  points  (One  point  for  describing  each  perspective,  two  points  for  listing  two  arguments  of  each  side,  four  points  for  a  complete  explanation  of  what  the  issue  tells  us  about  Native  American  culture  and  their  relationship  with  the  land)    

6-­‐7  points    

5  or  less  points  

 Essay  Question:    

  53  

Describe  two  different  perspectives  on  the  possibility  of  a  Reservoir  drawing  from  the  Mattaponi  River.  (2  points)  For  each  perspective  give  2  arguments.  (4  points)  Explain  what  this  issue  tells  us  about  Native  American  culture  and  their  relationship  with  the  land.  (4  points)    

 

  54  

Artifact #1: Visual Artifact Native American Projectile Point

Background Information Projectile points like these were found by archeologists at the Jamestown Fort Site. They were made by the Powhatan Indians and other Native American tribes. This particular point was carved out of dark chert rock. Seventy-nine of these points were found inside the Jamestown Fort. (Shifflett, 2007). The presence of Native American made weapons and tools in the Jamestown Fort Site shows the positive interaction between the Native Americans and the Jamestown Settlers. This type of point would be used as the head to an arrow. However, archeologists think that the arrows were probably not used as weapons against the settlers, because the edges are not broken. These projectile points may have been given to the Jamestown settlers as gifts or trades. (Shifflett, 2007) Primary Student Activities:

Context: Introduce the students to the image of the projectile point. Explain that it is an object that was found in the Jamestown Settlement. Ask the students what they think it is. After hearing some of their ideas, explain that it is a type of arrow head that Native Americans like the Powhatan used. Help the students to connect this artifact to previous lessons about the Powhatan Indians and the Jamestown Settlement. Whole Group: Guide the students to discuss how archeologists make observations about the things they find. Tell the students that these observations can help us to understand the people who used them in the past. As a class, help the students to make observations about the projectile point. Prompt the students to notice different qualities of the artifact such as its texture, its color, and its shape. List the students observations on the board.

  55  

Small Group: Instruct the students to get into groups of 2-3 children. Ask them to discuss the question “Why did the Native Americans make this type of tool?” After a few minutes, instruct the students to think of something that they use at home or at school that comes from nature. Help the students to make the connection between the Native American’s use of natural resources like rock and our own use of natural resources. Have each group come up with at least one thing that we use today that is made of a natural product. Individual: Give the students a sheet of paper with space to draw and write a sentence. Tell the students to draw a picture of a projectile point based on the image presented to them. Ask the students to write one sentence describing something interesting about the artifact based on the class discussion. Tell them to remember the observations they made at the beginning of the lesson. Intermediate Student Activities:

Context: Explain that this projectile point is an artifact found by Archeologists at Jamestown. Help the students to think about the purpose of archeology and how it can help us learn about people from the past. Guide the students in thinking like archeologists by making observations and inferences about the artifact and the Native American people who made it. Whole Group: Ask the students what they think an archeologist does. Help the students to discuss what an archeologist’s job is and how it helps us learn about the past. Tell the students that they are going to practice being like archeologists today. Instruct the students to make observations about the projectile point and from those observations, guide the students in making inferences about the lives of the Native Americans. Guide the students to discuss what the projectile-point may have been useful for. Ask them how they would use the point if they were a Native American. Small Group: Guide the students to form groups of four. Instruct the students to discuss the question “How were Native American tools and weapons different from the Jamestown settlers’ tools and weapons?” Help them to remember information from previous lessons about the lifestyles of the European settlers. Have each group make a chart comparing and contrasting the tools of the Native Americans with the tools of the Europeans. Individual: Each student will explore the Virtual Jamestown website (http://www.virtualjamestown.org/images/artifacts/jamestown.html) and choose one other Native American made object. They will each make a compare and contrast chart of the arrow head and their other chosen artifact. In making this chart, the teacher will instruct the students to consider the following questions: -What is the function of the artifact? -How was the artifact made? - Who would have used the artifact? - What materials was the artifact made out of?

  56  

Primary Assessment

1. What did Native Americans use to make projectile points? A) Metal B) Plastic C) Rock D) Cardboard

Intermediate Assessment

1. What do artifacts like the projectile point tell us about Native Americans? A) Native Americans used the materials around them to make tools. B) Native Americans were violent towards the European settlers. C) The Native Americans did not make tools very often. D) The Jamestown Settlers did not know how to make tools.

References

 Shifflett,C.(2007).Virtual Jamestown: Jamestown Artifacts. Retrieved from http://www.virtualjamestown.org/images/artifacts/jamestown.html

  57  

Artifact #2 A Map of Virginia. With a Description of the Countrey, the Commodities, People, Government and Religion. Written by Captaine Smith, sometimes Governour of the Countrey. (1612)

Background:

The Virginia Company selected John Smith to serve on the leadership council for the first settlement primarily because of his extensive experiences in exploration. The members of the Virginia Company instructed him and the rest of the leadership council to establish a settlement and then explore and document the surrounding area to determine means and sources of profit extraction. Published in England in 1612, John Smith created this map and the accompanying notes in accordance with these instructions and directed the publication towards a broader European population.

The illustrations and notes that accompany the map provide great insight into John Smith and the colonists’ perceptions of these Native Americans and their interactions. The map shows dense populations of Native Americans. Though he documents the realm of the Powhatan in great detail, Smith only depicts the relative location of other Native American tribes, likely because the colonists interacted more frequently with the Powhatan and Smith relied on the assistance of Powhatan guides in making the map. Smith dedicates a large portion of his notes to describing Powhatan government, religion, and food practices. Though his writing reflects admiration of some of these practices, he still refers to them as “barbarous” and “savage.” Comparing his illustration of the Susquehannock Indian, who he depicted in hunting gear and describes as “giant,” to his picture of Powhatan, who he shows smoking a peace pipe and leading a longhouse caucus, however, suggests that he found political and social structure to be more salient amongst the Powhatan than other Native American groups. Overall, the map and description illustrate John Smith’s perceived significance of Native Americans, particularly the Powhatan, as key resources and potential sources of profit through trade, but they also reflect a Eurocentric and White supremacist perspective (Foundations of U.S. History). Primary Student Activities:

  58  

Context: Students should already have a basic understanding of the purpose of maps and the use of symbols to convey information through a map before doing these activities. These activities are a good extension of a basic introduction to the Jamestown settlement and the motivations of English colonization in Virginia. Whole group: Ask students to recall what they have learned about John Smith and the Jamestown colonists thus far. In particular, prompt them to recall the importance of profit in motivating the Jamestown journey. Introduce the source by telling the students who made it and for what audience. Project the map and ask students to share their observations about the map. Tell the students that mapmakers have to make choices about what they put on their map because they cannot show everything. Ask students to consider how they might make these decisions and prompt them to elicit the response that they make these choices based on what is important to them. Small group: Have the students examine a copy of the map with a partner. Together, they should try to determine what is important to John Smith. Circulate and prompt students to notice the prevalence of rivers and Native American settlements. After students have had time to investigate the source, have them share their ideas with the class. Ask students why rivers and Native Americans might have been important to John Smith. Ask them why he would think that these were important topics to share with the investors in England. Explain that rivers were an important method of travel for getting goods back to England and that John Smith thought the Native Americans would be a good source of trade. Individual: Have the students go outside and explore the playground, making observational drawings to remind them of what they see. Once back in the classroom, direct each student to make a map of the playground. Have the students display their maps and direct them to circulate and view their classmate’s map, taking note of what is different. Use this activity as a basis for a whole group discussion about point of view, guiding the students to consider why everyone’s map looks different and focuses on different facets of the playground. Apply this to the artifact by asking children to consider how it might have looked different if someone else drew it. Intermediate Student Activities: Context: These activities should follow an introduction to the Virginia Company and the Jamestown settlement. Whole Group: Ask students to recall their knowledge of the Jamestown settlement and the Virginia Company. Project the image of the map. Ask students to identify who made the map. Prompt them to consider how the orientation of this map is different from the orientation of a normal map, which usually positions North at the top of the page. Ask students to consider why the cartographer chose to make the map that way and what clues that might provide about the audience of the map. Guide students to identify that the map is drawn from the perspective of someone looking at Virginia from the sea. Prompt them

  59  

to identify that this is a clue that it is for a European audience. Explain that the map was made by John Smith for the Virginia Company. Ask students to consider what information the Virginia Company might be looking for and how this might shape John Smith’s decisions about what to include in his map. Small Group: Have the students examine the map in groups of two to three. In their groups, the students should answer the following questions:

• What does John Smith think is important for the Virginia Company to know? • How do you think John Smith feels about Native Americans?

Circulate and prompt students to compare the depictions of Powhatan and the Susquehannock and note the scarcity of information about Native American groups other than the Powhatan. Prompt students to notice the prevalence of rivers.. Bring the students back together to share their findings. Guide students to articulate that John Smith was providing information about potential sources of profit and ways of transporting that profit. Read the students several excerpts about Native Americans from the description. Ask them if those descriptions support their answers to the second question. Explain that John Smith saw the Native Americans as valuable resources for trade and for survival and appreciated some societal attributes about certain groups, but he still saw Whites and Europeans as superior. Ask students to consider how the map might be different if drawn from a Native American perspective. Individual Based on the discussion in the group activity, have the students assume the perspective of a Native American in 1612 and draw a map of Virginia from this perspective. Have them write a description of the colonists from this perspective. Primary Assessment: John Smith chose to show a lot of rivers on his map because

a) they were his favorite places to visit b) they helped people travel and carry supplies c) they were good places to swim

Intermediate assessment: John Smith made his map of Virginia for

a) Powhatan b) The Virginia Company c) The other colonists d) Christopher Columbus

References

Smith, J. (1612) A Map of Virginia with a Description of the Country, the Commodities, People, Government and Religion. Virtual Jamestown Project. University of Virginia. Retrieved 17 October, 2011 from http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/jamestown-browse?id=J1008.

  60  

Foundations of U.S. History. John Smith Map. Retrieved 17 October, 2011 from http://chnm.gmu.edu/loudountah/exploresources/johnsmithintro

  61  

Artifact #3: Unpublished Document John Smith’s Letter to Queen Anne, 1616 Excerpt from the letter:

Most admired Queen,

The love I bear my God, my King and country, hath so oft emboldened me in the worst of extreme dangers, that now honesty doth constrain me to presume thus far beyond myself, to present your Majesty this short discourse: if ingratitude be a deadly poison to all honest virtues, I must be guilty of that crime if I should omit any means to be thankful.

So it is, that some ten years ago being in Virginia, and taken prisoner by the power of Powhatan their chief King, I received from this great Salvage exceeding great courtesy, especially from his son Nantaquaus, the most manliest, comeliest, boldest spirit, I ever saw in a Salvage, and his sister Pocahontas, the Kings most dear and well-beloved daughter, being but a child of twelve or thirteen years of age, whose compassionate pitiful heart, of my desperate estate, gave me much cause to respect her: I being the first Christian this proud King and his grim attendants ever saw: and thus enthralled in their barbarous power, I cannot say I felt the least occasion of want that was in the power of those my mortal foes to prevent, notwithstanding all their threats. After some six weeks fatting amongst those Salvage courtiers, at the minute of my execution, she hazarded the beating out of her own brains to save mine; and not only that, but so prevailed with her father, that I was safely conducted to Jamestown: where I found about eight and thirty miserable poor and sick creatures, to keep possession of all those large territories of Virginia; such was the weakness of this poor commonwealth, as had the salvages not fed us, we directly had starved. And this relief, most gracious Queen, was commonly brought us by this Lady Pocahontas.

Background: This letter was written by John Smith to Queen Anne in 1616. Smith had learned of Pocahontas’ visit to England with her husband, John Rolfe, and feared that she would not be treated with the respect he felt that she deserved. He wrote to assure the Queen of Pocahontas’ faithfulness to the Jamestown colony. He also recounts his interpretation of events that tell of how she was responsible for saving his life and how she contributed to the continued success of Jamestown. This letter was his first account of this event; none of Smith’s previous writings were personal in nature as they were primarily geographic and ethnographic works (Birchfield, 1998). He mentions encounters with Pocohantas in some of his earlier works, such as A True Relation, but none previously detailed the alleged rescue. Some historians now note that this story is often seen as a romantic sacrifice on the part of Pocahontas, but this sort of interaction was traditional amongst the Powhatans and likely was part of a ritual (Mossiker, 1996).

  62  

Primary Student Activities: Context: Students should already have had an introduction to the early Native American communities in Virginia and their interaction with the English who wanted to settle in the Jamestown area. Students should be familiar with John Smith and Pocahontas and be aware of the story that says Pocahontas saved Smith’s life, perhaps influenced by the Disney version of the story in the film “Pocahontas”. Whole group: Ask students to recall what they have learned about John Smith Pocahontas so far. Prompt them to recall what they have heard about the story of how Pocahontas saved John Smith’s life and how she played an important role in the Jamestown colony. Tell students about the letter Smith wrote in 1616 and his motivation for writing it. Inform students that because it was written a long time ago, it may be more difficult to understand. Read aloud the excerpt from the letter and then summarize what Smith had said, so that students better understand. Explain to students that he wrote this letter about Pocahontas and in it, he tells the Queen that Pocahontas is the Powhatan Chief’s daughter. He describes how he was taken prisoner and Pocahontas saved him from being killed just in time. He says that she took him back to the Jamestown settlement and there, she and the other Native Americans helped them survive by bringing food. Small group: The teacher will provide students will cards that have the different events that Smith outlines in his letter (Smith is captured, Pocahontas rescues Smith, Smith returns to Jamestown, Powhatans help feed the people of Jamestown). Students will work in groups of 3 to arrange these cards in the chronological order as interpreted by Smith in his letter. Individual: Students will draw a picture and write a sentence as a letter to the teacher, telling the teacher about someone important in their life. Instruct students to think about a particular thing this person has done that was special to them, for example a brother who helped them learn to ride a bike. Intermediate Student Activities: Context: Students should have already learned about Jamestown and the nature of interactions between the Powhatan and the English. Students should have knowledge of both Smith and Pocahontas’ role during this time. They will also be familiar with the story of how Pocahontas saved John Smith’s life, perhaps influenced by the Disney version of the story in the film “Pocahontas.” Whole Group: Prompt students to recall that John Smith was a leader of the Jamestown colony and that Pocahontas was a Powhatan Indian. Prompt students to share what they have heard about the story of Pocahontas rescuing Smith. Explain that the first explicit account of this story was in a letter written by Smith to Queen Anne of England, nearly 10 years after the event transpired. Provide students with the text of an excerpt from the letter and read it aloud. Discuss with students Smith’s possible motivations for writing this letter and including this story and record student ideas on the board. Discuss with

  63  

students how this letter may or may not be a historically accurate account of events. Guide them to consider how Smith’s motivations and perspective could affect this. Small Group: Explain that because the text was written back in 1616, the language may be difficult to understand. Students will work in groups of 3 to analyze a small portion of the text:

After some six weeks fatting amongst those Salvage courtiers, at the minute of my execution, she hazarded the beating out of her own brains to save mine; and not only that, but so prevailed with her father, that I was safely conducted to Jamestown: where I found about eight and thirty miserable poor and sick creatures, to keep possession of all those large territories of Virginia; such was the weakness of this poor commonwealth, as had the salvages not fed us, we directly had starved. And this relief, most gracious Queen, was commonly brought us by this Lady Pocahontas.

Students will highlight the words that they are unfamiliar with and make a list of all these words. Since students are familiar with the story being told in this excerpt, they will have more of a context to deduce what the words mean. Student groups will make an educated guess about what each unknown word means, using contextual clues. The teacher will then assign groups to work with each other and groups will share what they worked on.

Individual: Read to students Governor Edward-Maria Wingfield’s 1607 report and provide them with a copy of the text. (http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/learning_history/pocohontas/pocahontas_governor_report.cfm) Ask students to compare the historical account of the event in this report with the account of the event in Smith’s letter. Assist them with decoding the language as necessary. Students will write a two paragraph response comparing and contrasting the account of events in these two sources. Primary Assessment: 3. John Smith wrote a letter to ___________ telling why Pocahontas was important a) Queen Anne b) Christopher Newport c) Chief Powhatan Intermediate assessment: 4. John Smith wrote the letter to Queen Anne in 1616 in order to a) Encourage the Queen to protect the rights the Powhatans in Virginia b) Warn the Queen of Pocahontas’ arrival in England c) Vouch for Pocahontas’ integrity and faithfulness to the people of Jamestown d) Describe the economic resources he discovered in Virginia References:

  64  

Birchfield, Stan. (1998). Did Pocahontas Save Captain John Smith? Retrieved from http://vision.stanford.edu/~birch/pocahontas.html  

John Smith's 1616 Letter to Queen Anne of Great Britain. (2003). Digital History. Retrieved from http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/learning_history/pocohontas/pocahontas_smith_letter.cfm

 Mossiker, F. (1996). Pocahontas: the Life and Legend. New York: De Capo Press.

  65  

Artifact #4: Oral History Berkowitz, P. Dalton, J., & Shiftlett, C. Sue Elliot interview. Virtual Jamestown. Video

retrieved 30 October, 2011 from http://www.virtualjamestown.org/interview_sue.html

Background Researchers Phyannon Berkowitz, Jeffery Dalton, and Crandall Shifflett conducted and recorded this interview of Sue Elliot as part of the Virtual Jamestown Project. The Virtual Jamestown Project is a collaborative initiative between Virginia Polytechnic Institute, the University of Virginia, and the Virginia Center for Digital History. Shiftlett, who founded the project in 1996, hoped to contribute to the national dialogue on Jamestown in the years leading up to the 400th anniversary of Jamestown’s founding by creating a digital archive of primary and secondary resources that explored the legacy of Jamestown from a variety of perspectives. This interview of Sue Elliot, a Virginia resident and member of the Monacan Nation, provides a contemporary Native American perspective on the legacies of early contact between Virginia Indians and the Jamestown settlers. In this oral history interview, which is about an hour long, she discusses the historical and contemporary customs of her people, the legacy of political and social discrimination against Virginia Indians, and the current struggle of Virginia’s state recognized tribes for national recognition. She begins by discussing the loss of many Monacan customs and practices due to the influx of Europeans and the influence of the Christian church, which forbade many of their ceremonies. She proudly describes some of the historical traditions of her people that persisted, however, such as burial ceremonies and seasonal celebrations. She goes on to detail the impact of the 1924 Racial Integrity Act in Virginia, which only recognized two races: white and black. She discusses the ways in which this law discriminated against Native Americans, particularly in terms of educational opportunities. One of the first Monacan people to graduate from high school after desegregation legislation, Elliot poignantly describes the discrimination she personally experienced in her own education. She then describes how the lack of federal recognition of Virginian Indian tribes continues to deny educational opportunities to Native Americans. Though she describes her people as unique from other Native Americans due to historical differences in housing, language, and ceremonies as well as lighter skin color due to early intermarriage with the White settlers, she contends that the differences between Virginia Indian tribes are far less salient today because they are unified in the struggle for national recognition. She concludes by explaining that national recognition of Virginia’s tribes is important because it would not only provide greater access to health care and educational opportunities, but because it would symbolize social recognition of the contributions and tumultuous history of people who were here long before the Jamestown colonists. Primary Activities Context:

  66  

Students should already have a basic understanding of the early interactions of Virginia Native Americans and Jamestown colonists prior to this lesson. This lesson provides an introduction to Virginia Indians today and the ways they remember and memorialize the history of their people. Whole group: Tell the students that many ancestors of Native Americans still live in Virginia today. Explain that there are eleven organized tribes in Virginia. Explain that some, but not all, Virginia Native Americans choose to be members of the tribes of their ancestors. Introduce Sue Elliot as a Native American who is a proud member of the Monacan tribe. Tell the students that she helps run a museum at the Monacan tribal center, which helps members of the tribe remember their history and teach their history to others. Show the short clip in which Sue answers the question, “How should Virginia Indians be remembered?” Afterwards, discuss student reactions to the clip. Guide the discussion by asking the students what it means to be recognized. Ask the students to explain why Sue feels that the history of Native Americans has not been recognized. Then, ask the students to identify what Sue thinks is important to be recognized about Native American history. Explain that Native American tribes in Virginia work to have their history and their lives today recognized in a lot of different ways, one of which is the pow wow. Explain that a pow wow is a celebration in which many different tribes come together to sing, dance, and share their culture. To provide students with a context for understanding pow wows, show a video of a Virginia powwow explained by Morgan Faulkner, a William and Mary student and member of the Upper Mattaponi tribe, available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i53i9uHwa54&feature=related Small group: Have the students discuss what they saw and heard pow wow video in small groups. Ask students to consider the following questions:

• How are people dressed? Why are they dressed this way? • What are people doing in the video? • What do you the Native Americans they are trying to show about their culture and

history? • Why are pow wows special for Native Americans?

After students have had time to discuss these questions in small groups, bring the students back together to discuss their findings. Ask them how pow wows help to bring recognition to the Native American tribes. Individually Ask students to recall what they have learned about the history of Virginia Native Americans and to draw a picture recognizing something important about their history. Ask the students to write a sentence describing why it is important to remember the aspect of Virginia Native American history they depicted. Intermediate Activities: Context: Students should have an understanding of the early interactions between Native Americans and Europeans in Virginia and the ways in which these interactions were

  67  

shaped by differing cultural standpoints as well as economic and political motives. This lesson provides an introduction to lives of Virginia Indians today, focusing on their struggle for legal and cultural representation. Whole Class: Tell students that over 15,000 Native Americans still live in Virginia today. Explain that 2,500 of these people have chosen to register with one of the eleven organized tribes here today. Explain that not all of these tribes are recognized by the state government. Show them the map of state recognized tribes on page 22 of “The Virginia Indian Heritage Trail” available here: http://virginiaindians.pwnet.org/lesson_plans/Heritage%20_2ed.pdf Explain that Sue Elliot is a member of the Monacan Nation. Ask the students to identify the location of the Monacan tribe on the map. Explain that researchers who to learn about the lives of Virginia Native Americans today and how they remember their history interviewed her and that the interview tells us a lot about how Native American cultures have changed over time and some of the difficulties Virginia have faced as they have tried to remember their history and participate equally in American society. Direct students to take notes as you show clips of the interview. Show the following clips of the interview: Sue’s answer to the question about the customs and ceremonies of the Monacan people before the colonists arrived, her answer to the question about the historical and contemporary differences between the Powhatan and Monacan people, her response to the 400th anniversary of Jamestown’s founding, and her description of how Virginia Indians should be remembered. Small Group: Have students discuss the following questions in small groups: Did any of Sue’s answers surprise you? Explain. How have Virginia Indians been treated unfairly, according to Sue? Why is national recognition important to Sue? What makes Sue proud about her people’s history? After students have discussed these questions, bring the students back together to share their responses. Ask the students to brainstorm other questions they have about Virginia Native Americans today. Individual: Distribute laptops to the students or take them to a computer lab. Direct the students to choose one of the eight state recognized tribes in Virginia to research using the “Virginia Indians Today” section of Virginia’s First People: Past and Present available at http://virginiaindians.pwnet.org. Have the students examine the webpages for their selected tribe on this website and then follow links provided the tribal home pages. Instruct the students to write a five paragraph essay giving a short overview of the tribe’s history, a description of how life is different for the tribe now, and a description of one custom or tradition the tribe still practices today. Primary Assessment Which best describes a pow wow?

  68  

a) A serious conversation b) A celebration of culture c) A big concert

Intermediate Assessment Which of the following is not a Virginia state recognized tribe? a) Chickahominy b) Mattaponi c) Powhatan d) Pamunkey

References Berkowitz, P. Dalton, J., & Shiftlett, C. Sue Elliot interview. Virtual Jamestown. Video

retrieved 30 October, 2011 from http://www.virtualjamestown.org/interview_sue.html

The College of William and Mary. (2010). Morgan Faulkner ’12: A proud Virginia

Heritage. Video retrieved 30 October, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i53i9uHwa54.

Wood, K. (2008). Virginia Indian Heritage Trail. Retrieved 30 October 2011 from

http://virginiaindians.pwnet.org/lesson_plans/Heritage%20Trail_2ed.pdf.

  69  

Assessments:

Pre- and Post- Assessment for Primary Students

Directions: Listen as I read each question. Circle the letter of the best answer. 1. Which best describes a pow wow? a) A serious conversation b) A big concert c) A celebration of culture 2. John Smith chose to show a lot of rivers on his map because a) they were his favorite places to visit b) they helped people travel and carry supplies c) they were good places to swim 3. John Smith wrote a letter to ___________ telling why Pocahontas was important a) Queen Anne b) Christopher Newport c) Chief Powhatan 4. What did Native Americans use wampum belts for? a) to wear as clothing b) to trade and tell stories c) to use as decoration 5. What did Native Americans use to make projectile points? a) metal b) plastic c) rock

  70  

6. Circle the symbol on the map that represents Werecomoco:

a.

b.    

c.  

Pre- and Post- Assessment for Intermediate Students Directions: Circle the best response to each question. 1. Which of the following is not a Virginia state recognized tribe? a) Powhatan b) Chickahominy c) Mattaponi d) Pamunkey 2. Which of the following best describes a diplomat? a) A person who manages the money of a group b) A person who makes all the decisions for a group

  71  

c) A person who helps to solve problems between groups d) A person who keeps all the records for a group 3. John Smith made his map of Virginia for a) Powhatan b) The Virginia Company c) The other colonists d) Queen Anne 4. John Smith wrote the letter to Queen Anne in 1616 in order to a) Encourage the Queen to protect the rights the Powhatans in Virginia b) Warn the Queen of Pocahontas’ arrival in England c) Vouch for Pocahontas’ integrity and faithfulness to the people of Jamestown d) Describe the economic resources he discovered in Virginia 5. Which is a reason that Mattaponi River is important to the Mattaponi Tribe? a) The Mattaponi use the river for ceremonial cleansing of clothing. b) The Mattaponi are the legal owners of the river. c) Fishing for shad is an important part of Mattaponi culture. d) River raft building is an important part of Mattaponi culture.    6. What do artifacts like the projectile point tell us about Native Americans? a) Native Americans used the materials around them to make tools. b) Native Americans were violent towards the European settlers. c) The Native Americans did not make tools very often. d) The Jamestown Settlers did not know how to make tools.

Essay Question: Describe two different perspectives on the possibility of a Reservoir drawing from the Mattaponi River. (2 points) For each perspective give 2 arguments. (4 points) Explain what this issue tells us about Native American culture and their relationship with the land. (4 points) Differentiation: Accommodations for English Language Learners:

Administer one on one. Increase testing time. Repeat directions multiple times. Model circling the correct answer, using a sample question. Verify understanding of directions. Repeat the questions multiple times. Verify student understanding of questions. Orally emphasize key words. Add picture cues.

Accommodations for a Hearing-Impaired Primary Student: Administer one-on-one.

  72  

Have a sign language interpreter administer the test. Add picture cues. Differentiation for Gifted Students:

Provide more opportunities to illustrate higher level thinking, asking questions that require the student to apply content to new context or exhibit greater analytical understanding.