Maps Then & Now
Name the major river that appears on both the modern DC map and the 1750 Chesapeake map.
Identify five examples of wild game provided by the surrounding wilderness of the Anacostia and Potamac Rivers.
turkey, quail, geese, ducks, deer, elk, bear, and bison
What did the European settlers bring with them that caused Indigenous populations to decline sharply?
Diseases
Nacotchtank children learned skills by watching and helping adults. What is one example of a skill they learned?
Fishing, gardening, making tools, cooking, crafting. (Any correct)
Who was the first documented European explorer to reach the Potomac River region?
Captain John Smith
On the 1750 map, what river formed the heart of Indigenous Nacotchtank territory but is now partially buried or rerouted?
The Anacostia River
What did the Nacotchtank grow in the floodplains?
corn, beans, squash, and potatoes
The Nacotchtank were forced to leave their homeland and moved to join members of what related tribe?
The Piscataway
What transportation tool did the Nacotchtank use to travel the rivers?
Dug out canoes
What year did Captain John Smith first explore the Potomac River region?
1608
The 1750 Chesapeake map shows several large plantations and tobacco shipping points. These locations were later replaced by what type of land use as DC developed?
Urban development / city neighborhoods
What language did the Nacotchtank speak?
Algonquian
Fill in the blanks.
It only took _____ _______ after the Europeans arrival to reduce the indigenous peoples in the area to _______ ____________ of its original occupancy.
40 years
one quarter
Describe the daily life of an African slave.
might work sunrise to sunset cutting timber or tending tobacco.
Describe the labor force of 17th Century DC.
Enslaved Africans and indentured servants maintained the tobacco fields
Name and locate the two major fishing areas of Indigenous Nacotchtank
The Anacostia River & Potomac River
Name the 7 tribes that lived along the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers.
Piscataway, Pamunkey, the Nentego (Nanichoke), Mattaponi, Chickahominy, Monacan, and the Powhatan
Which three tribes have received federal recognition today?
Pamunkey, Rappahannock, and Upper Mattaponi tribes
What is one way the Nacotchtank showed respect for nature?
Taking only what they needed, honoring seasons, sustainable fishing, giving thanks. (Any correct)
Describe the early maps drawn by Captain John Smith
shows the Potomac River with Native villages marked along the banks. One village near today’s Anacostia River is labeled “Nacotchtanke.” The map includes drawings of canoes and people fishing.
On both maps, name the major body of water that was the watershed for both the Anacostia River & Potomac River; and locate where that is.
The Anacostans lived along the: 1. southeast side of the Anacostia River, 2. in the floodplain below the eastern-most section, 3. on the Potomac's west bank, 4. on a narrow bluff in the northwest section of the city.
Match 3 of these locations to the current names.
Southeast side = Bolling Air Force Base and Anacostia Park;
floodplain= Fort Circle Parks;
Potomac's west bank = Theodore Roosevelt Island;
Narrow bluff = Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and MacArthur Boulevard
Identify three things that happened to the Nacotchtank people that survived the deadly diseases and war.
Forcibly removed, pushed to join larger tribes, or sold into slavery in the Caribbean
What is one lived-experience difference between two groups in 17th-century Washington, DC?
Any two examples
What are five things you can learn about the Nacotchtank people from John Smith's maps and journals as well as archeological findings?
People lived in organized river villages; Fishing and water travel were essential; Trade was common; The Nacotchtank people grew crops and had surplus food; Nacotchtank people lived in longhouses, Corn was a major food source; Daily life included pottery making and farming.