American Indians

American Indians. . , Virginia’s Eastern Shore has been home to Native Peoples, also known as American Indians, for thousands of years. To understand changes in how people lived over the span of time, archaeologists have developed classifications for time periods that correlate to types of settlements. Along the coast, the earliest sites studied by archaeologists date back to the Paleoindian Period, or 10,000+ years B.C. During this time, people lived in mobile groups that hunted, fished, and gathered for food. Following this era is a time known as the Archaic Period, during which people continued to move seasonally but were more sedentary. Significant environmental changes were also taking place, and people adapted their toolkits to harvest new resources. The final period prior to European Contact is called the Woodland Period (1200 B.C. – A.D. 1600) which is when people lived in more permanent villages and engaged in hunting, gathering, farming, and fishing. The bow and arrow became the hunting tool of choice, and people developed ceramic technology., Who were the people living here? , This part of Virginia was inhabited by Algonkian-speaking tribes. Archaeological research suggests there were likely many groups living in the area at the time of European contact, though John Smith only recorded two on a map he created while exploring the Chesapeake in 1608 (at right). He labeled the groups he met the Accomac, (pronounced "ACK-uh-MACK") and Occohannock (pronounced "OCK-uh-HAN-UCK") Nations. The Accomac lived near the mouth of Old Plantation Creek in a town called Accomac. The Occohannock had several towns with names you might recognize in the area today, including Matchipongo, Nassawadox, and others., The Accomac were fishers and farmers, but would have also hunted and gathered. The major resources in the area were the fertile fields, plentiful shellfish beds, and fish. Their houses were wooden frames covered with bark or woven mats., The Accomac and Occohannock were part of the Powhatan Confederacy, a group of 30 or more affiliated Algonkian-speaking tribes (shown at left). For tribute or trade they likely offered shell beads since they readily had access to shellfish., We know from historical documentation that the Accomac would sell surplus corn to English colonists and would sometimes work as laborers. In the 1620s the leader of the Accomac, known as Debedeavon, Esmy Shichans, or "The Laughing King," broke off ties to the Powhatan Confederacy and worked closely with the English. He was close friends with Thomas Savage, a settler and translator, and gave him land upon which to settle. Following this, English colonists would continue to expand their settlements in the area., Excavations in the area uncovered numerous artifacts and features. , These photos show examples of ceramics and stone projectile points found in the region., What happened after European arrival in the region? , In the 17th century much of the Native population in the region would succumb to European diseases and settlement pressures, but Native Americans were resilient and continued their ways of life as best as they could., In the 1640s pressure increased as English farmers sought more land. In some cases, land was purchased from Native people, though in others it was taken. Many Native people resisted, and in 1640 the colonial government created a 1,500 acre reservation on the eastern side of Northampton County for the Accomac, who became known as the Gingaskin Indians. The reservation existed from 1640-1813. The Gingaskins continued their way of life, but faced population decline and pressure from white settlers who challenged the "Indianness" of Gingaskins because of intermarriage with white people and African Americans. Against their will, the Gingaskin's land was divided into plots and deeded to members in 1813, eliminating the tribal land base. This was the first known instance of allotment in US history., The area of the reservation is where Indiantown Park now exists east of Eastville. Descendants of Native communities continue to live in the region., [Sidebar:] , Gingaskin Indian Reservation , The Gingaskin Indian Reservation was located nearby from 1640 to 1813 and was created for the Accomac Indians. When the Accomac moved here, they became known as the "Gingaskins." They continued to practice their traditional economy of farming, hunting, and fishing. By the 1700s, portions of the reservation had been leased to outside groups to help support the Gingaskins, who were suffering from a decreased population and pressures from their white neighbors. The legal termination of the reservation in 1813 divided ownership among the Gingaskins; when their land was divided they built and focused on surviving members.