The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1894-05-24
IPOWHATAN's TRIBE.
LAST REMNANT EXISTS IN THE PA
MuNkEY INDIANS OF VIRGINIA.


MuNkEY INDIANS OF VIRGINIA.
ATown Of 500 Acres with 10 Inhabitants
Proud Of Their Lineage, They Accept
White Persons as Equals, but VIII Have
Nothing TO Do with Negroes.
How strange it seems that remnant
Of the once powerful confederacy Of
Powhatan should actually exist at this
day not so very far from Washington
This last fragment of nation, which,
as the time Of the landing of Columbus,
occupied all Of the region hereabout,
including large part of Virginia and
Maryland, consists Of about / 10 individ.
malls. They call themselves the Pamun.
keys and dwell at what is known as I'm.
diantown," which is situated on and
comprises the whole Of a curiousIy
shaped neck Of land extending into Pa.
munkey river and adjoining King vii,
liam county, Va, on the south. The
town" consists Of 800 acres and is al.
most entirely surrounded by water, be.
ing connected with the mainland by a
narrow strip. The comparative safety
afforded by the situation I'm time Of wal
"a doubtless accountable for the presence
Of the tribe IN this spot. Very likely
their survival is due to the protection
thus given
On the death Of Powhatan he was sue.
cseded by Opechancanougf1, chief Of the
Pamunkeys. The tribe was at that time
the most powerful Of the 80 war1ike
tribes which composed the confederacy.
The entire nation had ., 100 warriors,
and comprised about 8, 900 individuals.
OF thfs population T. 900 were Of ti1s
Pamunksy contingent.
Rowhasm was chief Of r8TpaFfzabIt
valar and Judgment The confedefSe5
ox4anizsd under tlle diE8ct4on Of his
sevzsB seutuB was one 81 the most aot
abis Ansng Ss1s ms1y unions 81 aasive
xmsrtsm nfbes. The pr0minsnes q
tifs s5srsa,f1al marion N ti4e esafF his
asT 81 tzfe caunfsy ~ parity dtIe 20 II,
aes asae CAPTAIN J6lim SMITH WIS Z
wz<fer m wei ~ an szpstssr. GJssa1saI
eaz5uo.n himself wsas - nsap 81 taItissIss
anilttE. Lie Isssdsnsnip IN the Hsasssess
81 1fee made dim aife nssss ft1satsd ~
er ever elfeenItssrsd 65g the se0saissi
- tfH ps<rOd
The RamnIlseg Indians, Fsh0se dil'
function 1t is 80 BE the only TtliEgitf
/ k<fbeknat has snryixedf beeBeEeaeilmeI
81 civilization, have excited the inses
ct Of the 5spreau Of ethnoiegx rs;ilie
mas 1ssned q bufletin describing them.
Oddly enough, tbeir number has VI
xisd hardly at all during the last -eei
tnry. Jefferson, writing in 1881 est
mated the population Of 1ndiansown 4
100. and How nearly 10 years late.
placed it at the same figure. No men
ter Of the tribe is Of full blood Viii
Che copper coiored skin and the straign
coarse hair Of the aboriginal America
show decidedly in some individual
there are others whose origin would M
be detected by the ordinary observe
There has been considerable INTERIM,
ture Of white blood and not little I
that Of the negro, though the laws 4
the tribe now strictly forbid marriae
with persons of African descent.
The Pamunkeys have a great deal !
race pride. Though they aeknowleds
/ the whites as equals, they consider ii
blacks far beneath their social leve
Their feeling toward the negro is illu
trated by their recent indignant refus
10 accept q oolored teacher who W;
sent TO them to conduct the free seho
4 which the state Of Virginia provides f
them. They are very anxious to kee
their blood free from further minglI
with that Of other races. and how 10 a
complish this purpose is serious pro
lem of theirs, inasmuch as they reco
nize the danger of too frequent ma
riages within the pale of consanguinit
To obviate this difficulty the chief me
have been trying to devise a plan
which they may induce immigratie
from the Cherokees of North Carolina
The Pamunkey Indians are not pa
ticularly strong and robust perha
: because of frequent marriages betwe'
relatives. They are temperate, NOR
and peaceable. There is good feeliI
between them and their white neig
bors. They are exceedingly proud
their lineage and love to tell how bray
" and stubbornly their forefathers I
! sisted the encroachments of the white
Opechancanough is their hero. TIL
take great delight in reciting the fam
: lar story Of how this noted chief, VIII,
old and infrm, was carried on lit
to battle that his presence might inspi
. his men to deeds of bravery. Aside fro
their mode of subsistence, there is not
, ing peculiar In their manners and CT
: toms unless it be an inclination to G
; cessive use of gaudy colors in their 6
tire. Their homes are comfortable al
well kept They all belong to the Ba
. list denomination and attend church
? the reservation every Sunday
They obtain their living for the ms
: part I'm true aboriginal style. Th'
chief occupations are hunting and ifs
ing, primitive dugout canoes being use
Farming they do on a small scale, b
for manual labor they entertain tru
: aboriginal dislike, frequently hiring I
: groes TO attend to their little tru
: patches Considerable numbers Of. r
. coons, muSkrats, offers and even ~
Inv cspsss-.s- ...-.fsss ss>~s~asfssss'---.
: skins are sold I'm Richmond and Bal
more as well a. many Of the fish u
leztch. They take slssd, bass, beYTi
and other fishes In large numbers
d means q sefne&
o In the autumn they hunt reedbirds
h a very curious fashion, They have VI
n thsy call . "soEa horse" resembling
= peach basket In sire and ssa1e assd ma
]. d strips a iron. Before they had b
q clay was utilized ~ the material I
r sshorse" Il mounted On . pole stack
% the mar<h on placed upright IN b
4 AZ night . fire IL kindIed inside T. ]
V llfght ATTRACTS the reedbfrds, and they
r sround Il, while the Indians knock ID
n down with paddles Every yeag wk
Il hunters visit the observation for tic 2
q pose Of shooting reedblrds, employ
: the Pamunkeys as guides. - Washing