Chief Powhatan

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Image:Powhatan john smith map.jpg Chief Powhatan (c. 1547—c. 1618) , whose proper name was Wahunsunacock or Wahunsenacawh, was the leader of the Powhatan (also spelled Powatan and Powhaten), a powerful tribe of Native Americans, speaking an Algonquian language, who lived in Tenakomakah—what is now tidewater Virginia—at the time of the first English-Native encounters. Powhatan was the father of Pocahontas. He is said to have had over 100 wives.

Powhatan was originally the name of one of the towns where he lived, as well as the adjacent river (today called the James River). When he created a powerful empire by conquering most of tidewater Virginia, he called himself the Powhatan, often taken as his given name, but actually a title. Another chief village was established at Werowocomoco on the north bank of the York River about 25 miles from where "the river divides" at West Point, Virginia, according to Smith. This places it at present day Wicomico.

In December 1607, English soldier and pioneer, John Smith, one of the colony's leaders, was captured by Opchanacanough, the younger brother of Chief Powhatan and was taken to Werowocomoco. According to Smith's account (which in the late 1800s was considered to be fabricated, but since is believed to be mostly accurate—although several highly romanticized popular versions cloud the matter), Pocahontas, Powhatan's younger daughter, is said to have prevented her father from executing Smith. However, it is also believed by some that this was a ritual intended to adopt Smith into the tribe.

After Smith left Virginia because of an injury sustained in a gunpowder accident in 1609, the nervous tribe attacked and killed many of the Jamestown residents. The residents fought back, killing twenty members of the tribe.

However, within a few years both Chief Powhatan and Pocahontas were dead from disease. The Chief died in Virginia, but Pocahontas died in England, having been captured and married to colonist John Rolfe, a leading tobacco planter. Meanwhile, the English continued to encroach on Powhatan territory. After Wahunsunacock's death, his younger brother Opchanacanough became chief, and in 1622 and 1644 he attempted to force the English from Virginia. These attempts invited strong reprisals from the English, ultimately resulting in the near destruction of the tribe. Powhatan's burial mound is now located on the Pamunkey Indian Reservation in Virginia. Most of his direct descendants carry the surname Custalow. He was the grandfather of Thomas Rolfe.

Powhatan County, although located somewhat to the west of their actual territory, was named for Chief Powhatan and his tribe.

Powatan's Mantle or cloak, made of deerskin and decorated with shell patterns and figures is in the Ashmolean Museum. There is an External Link to a an article on this below.

In the independent City of Richmond, Powhatan Hill is believed, by tradition, to be located near Chief Powhatan's village, although the specific location of the site is unknown.

Chief Powhatan's other chief village, Werowocomoco, is an archeological site in Gloucester County, Virginia which has been listed as a National Historic Site.

1 Names, titles, appellations
2 Fictional representations
3 External links
4 Further reading

[edit] Names, titles, appellations

17th century English spellings were not standardised, so the problem of representing the sounds of the Algonquian language spoken by Wahunsunacock and his people is made doubly difficult by different spellings representing the same word. Charles Dudley Warner, writing in the 19th century, but quoting extensively from John Smith's writings, in his essay on Pocahontas states: "In 1618 died the great Powhatan, full of years and satiated with fighting and the savage delights of life. He had many names and titles; his own people sometimes called him Ottaniack, sometimes Mamauatonick, and usually in his presence Wahunsenasawk." Many variants are used in texts:

The place, Powhatan

Powhatan, Powatan, Powhaten, Pohetan, Powhattan, Poughwaton,

The description, weroance (chief?)

weroance, weeroance, wyrounce, wyrounnces, werowance, wyroance, werowans

The name, Wahunsunacock

Wahunsunacock, Wahunsenasawk, Wahunsenacawh, Wahunsenacock

The title, Mamanatowick (paramount- or great- chief, overlord?)

Mamanatowick, Mamauatonick

[edit] Fictional representations

A fictional version of Powhatan was voiced by Russell Means in the 1995 Disney film, Pocahontas; he was played by August Schellenberg in the 2005 film The New World.