Language Groups
How do people know about the language groups and tribes that once lived in Virginia?
People have learned about past American Indian tribes by studying artifacts that have been discovered.
What tribe spoke the Algonquian language?
Powhatan
What material was mostly used to create clothing?
Deerskin
What is an archaeologist?
An archaeologist is a person who studies human history by studying artifacts.
What was Werowocomoco?
Werowocomoco was a large American Indian town built as early as 1200 CE.
Where was the Algonquian language mostly spoken?
The Algonquian languages were mostly spoken in the Tidewater
What tribe spoke the Siouan language?
Monacan
What did the American Indians do for food during the summer?
During the summer, the American Indians planted crops such as corn, squash, and beans.
What is an artifact?
An artifact is a man-made object that tells about the past.
Virginia’s American Indians are called the Eastern Woodland Indians because Virginia was once covered in
forests
Where was the Siouan language mostly spoken?
The Siouan languages were mostly spoken in the Piedmont region.
What tribe spoke the Iroquoian language?
Cherokee
What did the American Indians do for food during the fall?
Preserved and stored foodmfor later and harvested crops.
What are two objects that could be considered artifacts? What makes those objects artifacts?
Examples could include arrowheads, toys, jewelry, tools, pottery, clothing, etc. These items are all man-made.
What type of climate does Virginia have?
Virginia has a mild climate that creates four distinct seasons.
Where was the Iroquoian language mostly spoken?
The Iroquoian languages were mostly spoken in southwest and southern Virginia.
Name where each tribe is located in Virginia
Southern VA - Cherokee
Piedmont- Monacans
Tidewater- Powhatan
What did the American Indians do for food during the winter?
Lived on foods stored in the previous season.
What are two objects that could not be considered artifacts? Why are those objects not artifacts?
Examples could include leaves, rocks, fossils, etc. These items are all created by nature.
Why did the American Indians name the site Werowocomoco, which means “leader settlement”?
The town was named “leader settlement” because it was Powhatan’s headquarters. Powhatan was the leader of many Algonquian tribes.
Name all three language groups, where they belong in VA and what tribe they're connected to
Iroquoian-Southern VA-Cherokee
Souan-Piedmont-Monacan
Algonquian-Tidewater-Powhatan
List the three tribe names, where each belong in VA and the language they spoke.
Cherokee- Iroquoian-Southern VA
Monacan-Souan-Piedmont
Powhatan-Algonquian-Tidewater
What did the American Indians do for food during the spring?
hunted, fished along the rivers and picked fresh berries.
How have archaeologists given us a better understanding of early American Indian life in Virginia?
Artifacts discovered by archaeologists throughout Virginia tell us about the first people who lived in Virginia.
Studying the materials artifacts are made from and how they are made tell us about the resources available to the American Indians and how they used those resources to meet their needs.
What was Jamestown?
Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in North America.