Powhatan Confederacy: Tribes [Archive]

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2PI

09-16-2006, 11:54 AM

Hello everyone, I was wondering if anyone could assist me to ID the 30-35 Tribes that made up the Powhatan Confederacy under Chief Powhatan.
I have where he is listed as belonging to the Pamunkey Tribe, yet another references has one of his daughters marrying into the Powhatan Cayuga Tribe. Could it just be that these were just two different tribes within the Confederacy that intermarried? I thought it would be good to try and find all the tribal names for this Powhatan Confederacy, if at all possible.
Does anyone have a link to somewhere or is the tribal names lost, forever?
I will post some of the Powhatan genealogy I have come across in relationship to my family.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am still trying to unravel the Cabell lines. My Samuel Jordan Cabell is still not with his true parents, but I am getting closer.
Thank you, 2PI

techteach

09-16-2006, 01:10 PM

2PI,

Here is a link where Thomas Jefferson lists early tribes, including the Powhaton : http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/JEFFERSON/ch11.html

This version is easier to read though : http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=JefBv021.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=11&division=div2

Techteach

2PI

09-16-2006, 01:50 PM

techteach

09-16-2006, 03:48 PM

The Cayuga were part of the Iroquois Six Nations. I am sure that they could be found occasionally in VA. Chief Logan and his father, Shikellemy, were considered to be Cayuga members. Logan was certainly in VA at several points. Partly, there could also be confusion too, because PA and VA had different borders at times.
The Cayuga ran around with the Seneca and they were in VA many times. They did not get along with the Cherokee. They traveled the Warrior's Path back and forth attacking one another.

All that being said, I am not aware of a Powhatan tribe called Cayuga. They spoke different languages and lived in different places. Many of the Powhatans, when dispersed, went north and joined the Six Nations in PA. The Six Nations took in many refugees. One reference to the Seneca that I read, called them more refugee than Seneca. I believe the Cayuga were also quick to adopt refugees. Shikellemy was possibly one of those southern refugees. Something I read said that he was made chief of the refugees by the Six Nations, because, being a refugee himself, he understood their problems.

Techteach

2PI

09-16-2006, 04:02 PM

Yes! This is what was/is confusing me too!
I found where Opechanacanough Mangopeesomon OF THE POWHATAN Cayuga tribe (b.1554) married Princess Cleopatra OF THE POWHATAN (b. 1590) daughter of Chief Powhatan (ie: Pamunkey) and sister to Pocahantas.
Would that or could it be that Opechanacanough & Chief Powhatan were brothers?
As I am looking at the first generation of the Powhatan Tribe starting about 1520.
I can find the parents of Opechanacanough Mangopeesomon;specifically, but not so with Chief Powhatan.
2PI

techteach

09-16-2006, 05:12 PM

I think that was the name of Powhatan's brother, yes, but don't hold me to it. I believe that I read that he led an uprising against the colonists and when he lost, he fled north. Maybe he ended up with the Cayuga. Maybe that is where the comment comes from.

Techteach

2PI

09-16-2006, 05:57 PM

Thanks for your input techteach,
What I am determining is that Chief Powhatan (aka Emperor Wahunsenacawh of Powhatan/ Pamunkey tribe) was the half-brothers of Emperor Opechancanough Mangopeesomon of Powhatan /Cayuga Tribe,
Both would have had to had the same father (I am assuming) who would of been Ensenore Algonkian of the Powhatan (aka Weroance of the Powhatan). They would of had to have different mothers: one perhaps being from the Cayuga Tribe. (this could be an ERROR in transcription)
It would not of been unreasonable to marry into another tribe for peace.
Chief Powhatan married twice: 1.)Matatishe Winaanuske Nonoma / Tribe Unknown: and 2.) Regent Oholasc Quiqoughcohtan.
It was I think Emperor Opechancanough Mangopeesomon of Powhatan that was murdered by the settlers in Jamestown in 1644. I will have to recheck my data.
Still digging! 2PI

PappyDick

09-16-2006, 06:32 PM

Responding to Techteach, message #4 above:

The Cayuga were part of the Iroquois Six Nations. I am sure that they could be found occasionally in VA. Chief Logan and his father, Shikellemy, were considered to be Cayuga members. Logan was certainly in VA at several points.

I was Googling around for a portrait of Shikellamy that I saw about 20 years ago in Philadelphia. I thought it had been painted from life, but I guess its date is closer to 70 years after he died. Still, it's old, and striking. This web site has a version you can click to enlarge, and also a modern painting of Logan:

http://www.explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=749

I notice they have him dying in 1748, and participating in the Burnt Cabins expedition in 1750. (And if you click on the link to their Burnt Cabins marker, they say Andrew Lycon was Scotch-Irish; but I think he was mostly Swedish.) Anyway, there is a lot of interesting stuff on these PA historical marker web pages.

Linda

09-17-2006, 04:10 PM

Many of the Woodland tribes were matrilineal, which meant,among other things, that leaders would be chosen from the mother's clan. This meant that a son would not likely ascend to his father's position. Instead, a young man from the clan which leaders were chosen from, would be picked to carry a position. He would belong to his mother's clan. I don't know if this applied to the Powhatan, but it's something to keep in mind.

Also, the "Powahatan/Cayuga tribe" reference is confusing to me. If we're talking about a time when the Powhatan still ruled, before they were disrupted, I can't see how they would have been in a tribe together with the Cayuga. They would have still been competing tribes, likely at war with one another.

2PI

09-17-2006, 04:37 PM

Yes, that is what I read on a site. Passing from mother's side/clan. I will try finding the link again and posting it here. (I have visited sooooo many sites of late about the Powhatans.)
I too, am confused about the Cayuga tribe being linked to his name. I am sure it is an error that someone made part of their research and has been continued on several others. I am going to remove it from mine until I can prove otherwise. 2PI

roca

09-17-2006, 04:38 PM

2PI

09-17-2006, 04:55 PM

Thank you Roca, I will re-read those links again.
The page where I read this is:
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/tribes/powhatan/powhatanhist.htm

Powhatan Indian Tribe History
in ¶ 8
“The office of werowance, or chieftaincy, appears to have been hereditary through the female line, passing first to the brothers, if there were any, and then to the male descendants of sisters, but never in the male line. The Chickahominy, it is said, had no such custom nor any regular chief, the priests and leading men ruling, except in war, when the warriors selected a leader.”

I thought it, very interesting! 2PI
I still have much to learn of the Indian ways and the Powhatans.
Everyones help is greatly appreciated.

2PI

09-18-2006, 10:49 AM

Dear 2PI,

On our introductory page,"Searching for Saponi Town",there's a link to a
list of VA Indian groups.

Powhatan tribes and towns are listed.I can't remember them all.:(

Several Powhatan tribes are still in VA,(organized): Chickahominy (2 factions),Pamunkey,Nansemond,Rappahannock,Mattapon i,(2 factions) and there
might be others that I forgot.

Roca

Dear Roca, I revisited the Introductory page to find the links you mention. I must be missing the links you are pointing out, as I can't find them. I read the article by Linda Carter (wonderful piece!), but still am blind to finding the links to the Powhatan tribes and towns. I would like to learn as much as possible about the Powhatan Confederacy and the various tribes.
Regards, 2PI

roca

09-18-2006, 05:21 PM

Dear Roca, I revisited the Introductory page to find the links you mention. I must be missing the links you are pointing out, as I can't find them. I read the article by Linda Carter (wonderful piece!), but still am blind to finding the links to the Powhatan tribes and towns. I would like to learn as much as possible about the Powhatan Confederacy and the various tribes.
Regards, 2PI

Dear 2PI,

The link is "The Indian Tribes of Virginia".If the link doesn't work,try this
URL:

www.saponitown.com/SwantonPartTwo.htm

Like others on our list,I'm trying to learn more of the history and culture.
Take a look at my "public profile" if you want.

Roca:)

2PI

09-18-2006, 09:50 PM

Dear Roca,
Thank you, I finally was able to locate the link this afternoon. I must of been blurry eyed yesterday and did not scroll down far enough to find all those great links.
Now all I have to do is determine which Powhatan Chiefs lived where exactly/village. As I am distantly related to all of them in one degree or another.
I have been researching my entire Family . . . all branches, since the mid-1970's.
My tree is almost completely full of lost ancestral souls. I am missing a line on the Powell side, but I am sure it will fall into place soon also. I try to account for every leaf on each branch. We do have some persons that vanished into thin air and appear to be lost without a trace of what happened to them/ no clues whatsoever.
This Powhatan line is my grandmother's family on my fathers side.
I have known since childhood about the Indian line (but just the term Blackfoot) and a short story about a Princess, I was very young when the story was told to me. Elements of the story are apparently true, yet the lines are much further back then I remember being told.
I read your profile! Lucky you being in VA and being able to revisit some of these places of our ancestral roots.
Regards, 2PI