Native Americans:

The First Inhabitants of Virginia

Virginia Studies 2 d, e

• The student will demonstrate knowledge of the geography and early inhabitants of Virginia by.

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

b)Describing how American Indians (First Americans) adapted to the climate and their environment to secure food, clothing and shelter.

Native Americans: The First Inhabitants of Virginia:Table of Contents

• Christopher Columbus: Indians• Native Language Groups• Native Americans in Virginia: Map• Native Americans: Evidence & Artifacts• Virginia Climate• Eastern Woodland Indians

• Food: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall• Clothing• Shelter

• Assessments: One, Two, Three

Christopher Columbus: Indians

• Christopher Columbus called the people he found in the lands he discovered “Indians” because he thought he was in the Indies (near China).

Native Language Groups

Three major language groups.

1. Algonquian was spoken primarily in the Tidewater region; the Powhatans were a member of this group.

2. Siouan was spoken primarily in the Piedmont region.

3. Iroquoian was spoken in Southwestern Virginia and in Southern Virginia near what is today North Carolina; the Cherokee were a part of this group. Map

Native Americans In Virginia:Map

Algonquian(Powhatan)

Siouan

Iroquoian(Cherokee)

Evidence & Artifacts

• Today we know that Native Americans lived in all areas of the state by the artifacts they left behind.

• Artifacts such as arrowheads, pottery, and other tools that have been found tell a lot about the people who lived in Virginia.

Virginia Climate

• The climate in Virginia is relatively mild with distinct seasons—spring, summer, fall, and winter—resulting in a variety of vegetation.

Eastern Woodland Indians

• Virginia’s Indians are referred to as Eastern Woodland Indians, due to the forests which cover most of the land.

• The kinds of food they ate, the clothing they wore, and the shelters they had depended upon the seasons.

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Food

Clothing

Shelters

Eastern Woodland Indians: Food

• Foods changed with the seasons:

–Winter - hunted birds and animals

– Spring - fished and picked berries

– Summer - grew crops (beans, corn,

squash)

– Fall - harvested crops

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Back to Eastern Woodland Indians

Eastern Woodland Indians: Clothing

• Animal skins (deerskin) were used for clothing.

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Eastern Woodland Indians: Shelter

• Shelter was made from materials around them mainly wood and bark.

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Assessment – 1 of 3

• Why were Virginia’s Indians referred to as the Eastern Woodlands Indians?

Answer

• What were Indians clothes made from?

AnswerClick here to go to

Assessment #2

Assessment - 2 of 3

• What type of food did the Eastern Woodland Indians eat during the winter?

Answer

• What type of food did the Eastern Woodland Indians eat during the summer?

AnswerClick here to go to

Assessment #3Click here to go back

to Assessment #1

Assessment – 3 of 3

• What did the Eastern Woodlands Indians depend upon to determine what foods they ate, type of clothing they wore and shelters they lived? Answer

• What were the three major Indians languages spoken in Virginia?

AnswerClick here to go back

to Assessment #2

Credits

• Virginia Studies Curriculum Framework, Commonwealth of Virginia, Board of Education, 2001

• Virginia Studies Posters (http://chumby.dlib.vt.edu/melissa/posters/vastudiesposter.html)

• Google Image Search (www.google.com/images)