Chickahominy

the center of the modern Chickahominy community is in a rural area of Charles City County
Source: Google Maps

The Chickahominy were independent of Powhatan's paramount chiefdom in 1607. He appointed the werowance who governed each of the surrounding tribes, including the Paspahegh who lived at the mouth of the Chickahominy River, but Powhatan had no role in selecting the elders ("mungai") who governed the Chickahominy. Powhatan chose to expand his territory to the east, conquering the Kecoughtan and Chesapeakes, while accepting the independence of the Chickahominy in the center of Tsenacommacah.¹

There were approximately 1,500 Chickahominy when the English arrived. Like others in the Woodland Period, they relied upon farming for food in the summer and fall, and depended upon hunting, fishing, and gathering for a portion of the year. "Chickahominy" supposedly means "People of the Coarse Pounded Corn."²

They lived in 15-20 towns, located on both sides of the Chickahominy River near the marshes that protected them from attack and supplied so much food:³

John Smith's map indicates nine Chickahominy towns on the south side of the river and six on the north side. The earlier Don Pedro de Zuniga map shows another four villages, three on the north side and one on the south side. Moving upriver from Old Neck the named southside villages were Mansa, Opahaock, Menascosic, Paspanigh, Mamanahunt, Chosicks, Paspanegh, Roghtacut/Righkahauk, Nechanicok and Mattahunt/Mattalunt. Moving upriver from Shipyard/Yarmouth Creek the named northside villages were Mattapanient, Ozenick/Oraniock, Werawahon, Askakep, Moysonec, Quosaugh, Attamuspiank, and Apocant.

the Chickahominy controlled independent territory in the heart of Powhatan's Tsenacommacah
Source: Library of Congress, Virginia (John Smith, 1624)

John Smith visited the Chickahominy in November, 1607. He calculated that Jamestown had only enough food remaining for two weeks. The English had already traded with the towns along the lower James River for their available corn, and by this time the Pasapaheghs living at the mouth of the Chickahominy River were a "churlish and trecherous nation." Smith decided to sail past them and trade with towns further upstream.

He took eight men on the barge, plus another seven men on the pinnace Discovery because he planned to acquire a major stockpile of corn for the winter. He found the Chickahominy eager to trade for copper and hatchets. He kept moving upstream to seek better deals and to explore the unknown territory.

He was the first to describe a Chickahominy town:⁴

This place is called Manosquosick, a quarter of a mile from the river, conteining thirtie or fortie houses, uppon an exceeding high land: at the foote of the hill towards the river, is a plaine wood, watered with many springes which fall twentie yardes right downe into the river. Right against the same is a great marsh, of 4. or 5. miles circuit, divided in 2 islands, by the parting of the river, abounding with fish and foule of all sorts.

in November 1607, John Smith met 200 Chickahominy in the "hart" of their country at Mamanahunt, where he traded for corn
Source: Library of Congress, Virginia (John Smith, 1624)

He returned again to acquire more corn, then went up the Chickahominy River a third time past Apocant, "the highest Towne inhabited." The river grew so narrow he had to abandon the barge and move upstream in a canoe hired from the locals. On this third trip to trade with the Chickahominy and explore their territory, Smith was captured by a hunting party. After being dragged around Tidewater, Smith ended up at Werowocomoco and was "rescued" by Pocahontas.⁵

The Chickahominy were not spared during the First Anglo-Powhatan War in 1609-14. In 1610, George Percy led 70 men in two boats to attack them and the Paspahegh. The English landed near the mouth of the Chickahominy River, surrounded the town of the Paspahegh, and "putt some fiftene or sixtene to the Sworde and almoste all the reste to flyghte."

The English seized the wife and two children of the werowance Wowinchapuncke, then executed them on the trip back to Jamestown. The Paspahegh abandoned the area by 1611, and the raid made clear to the Chickahominy that the English could expel an entire group of people from their homeland.

The most-open hostilities of the First Anglo-Powhatan War ended after Pocahontas married John Rolfe in 1614. Powhatan focused on managing the remainder of Tsenacommacah not occupied by the colonists, and extracting whatever trade goods he could obtain from the Tassantassas (strangers) during a period of relative peace.

The Chickahominy chose to make a separate peace with Sir Thomas Dale in 1614. They agreed to acknowledge they were subjects of the English, to provide bowmen if the colonists were attacked by the Spanish, and to supply corn annually. The English agreed not to displace the Chickahominy from their traditional territory along the river, to provide "Copper, Beades, Hatchets, and many other necessaries, to "permit them to enjoy their owne liberties, freedoms, and lawes, and to be governed as formerly, by eight of their chiefest men," and most importantly "to defend and keepe them from the fury & danger of Powhatan.⁷

By 1616, the Chickahominy hedged their bets. They began sending a representative to meetings held by Powhatan. After Opechancanough organized an assault in 1622, the colonists raided through the towns and cornfields of the Chickahominy.⁸

Chief William H. Adkins in 1901 and 1905
Source: National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, Portrait (Front) of Chief William H. Adkins June 1901 and June 1905

The Chickahominy opened their annual Chickahominy Fall Festival & Pow Wow to the public in 1951. The greatest concentration of the Chickahominy today live on the ridge in Charles City County that separates the Chickahominy and James Rivers.

There are 900 members of the tribe. To be a member of the tribe requires tracing ancestry back to a list of members (tribal roll) compiled in 1901. The 12-member Tribal Council includes the tribal chief, a first and a second assistant chief, and nine tribal members. They serve four-year terms, staggered so the entire council is not replaced at once.⁹

In 2019, the tribe acquired 105 acres on the north bank of the James River, just upstream from Lawrence Lewis Jr. Park in Charles City County. The $2.6 million purchase was funded by mitigation funding required for Dominion Energy to build the Surry-Skiffes Creek Transmission Line across the James River, since that project impacted a historical viewshed.¹⁰

in 2019, the Chickahominy acquired 105 acres on the James River near Weyanoke
Source: Virginia Outdoor Foundation, VOF Conservation Land

the Chickahominy now own waterfront property on the James River
Source: Charles City County Assessor

In 2021, the tribe received an additional $3.5 million from the General Assembly for land acquisition. Chief Stephen Adkins stated:¹¹

This is a repatriation of the historically significant land and rich culture of our people, and pays respect to a history that for too long has been held hostage. This gives us a presence back on the river that we came from. We're coming back. It opens a new era for the tribe to share our history.

After purchasing a 944-acre tract that included the historical town location of Mamanahunt, Chief Adkins emphasized that the location of the parcel on the Chickahominy River was especially important:¹²

It's once-in-a-lifetime... Since the mid-17th century, we haven't had a footprint on the Chickahominy River.

Governor Ralph Northam highlighted the equity aspects of the land purchase:¹³

As we strive to tell a fuller and more inclusive story of Virginia, it is important to preserve and protect physical places and spaces that represent the history of all Virginians... Returning this historically significant parcel of land to the Chickahominy is one way to recognize tribal sovereignty, honor their rich history and ensure that the tribal nation has a place where they can continue their sacred traditions and share their stories.

in 1901, the Chickahominy dressed up for photographers just like their neighbors
Source: National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, Six People near Wood Frame Building 1900

three members of the Chickahominy in 1900
Source: National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, Woman and Two Boys near Wood Frame Building

James Mooney, from the Bureau of American Ethnology, documented Chickahominy life in 1900
Source: National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, Group of Five near Wood Fence, One in Military Uniform?

Chickahominy adults in 1900-1901
Source: National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, Portrait (Front) of Benjamin Adkins JUN 1901 and Woman near Tree 1900

Chickahominy man with boats in background
Source: National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, Man near Row Boats in River 1900

the Chickahominy have always relied upon fishing as well as hunting
Source: National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, Four Men Fishing from Boats 1900

anthropologist Frank Speck photographed Winona and Iola Bradby in Providence Forge around 1900
Source: Virginia Humanities, Virginia Indian Archive, Aerial Image, Mantle Tribute to Virginia Indians

Chickahominy Indians Eastern Division in Virginia

Native American Tribes in Virginia Since Contact

Links

• Chickahominy Indian Tribe
• National Museum of the American Indian (Smithsonian Institution)
• We Have a Story to Tell: Native Peoples of the Chesapeake Region
• Prince William Network/Virginia Department of Education
• Virginia's First People
• Virginia Foundation for the Humanities
• Virginia Indian Heritage Trail
• Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth
• Virginia Indians

Chickahominy State Designated Tribal Statistical Area (SDTSA)
Source: Census Reporter, Chickahominy SDTSA

References

when the English arrived in 1607, the territory of the Chickahominy was not part of Powhatan's Tsenacommacah
Source: She-philosopher.com, The "Zuniga Chart" of Virginia, 1608