The Pamunkey Tribe Is One Of 11 Tribes Recognized By Virginia And Was The Tribe That Inspired The Story Of Disney's Pocahontas
Although most people have never heard of the Pamunkey Tribe, nearly everyone knows a story where they play a major role. “We captured John ,” Kevin Brown, former chief of the Pamunkey, told the sonian, a fact well documented in the contemporary writings of both Royal Governor Winfield and John himself. Pocahontas, ’s reputed savior, was a member of the tribe. Her father Powhatan is buried in a mound on today’s Pamunkey Reservation, located about 40 miles east of Richmond, Virginia.
Whether the story of Pocahontas and John is fact or legend is much debated, but it has entered American lore. But the Pamunkey have another story to tell - one of perseverance and dedication to tradition that has carried them through 400 years of coexistence with the Europeans who first came into their land in 1607.
“We signed a treaty with the English king back in 1677 and we still go to Richmond on the day before Thanksgiving every year to bring the governor our tribute, payment for our lands,” Joyce Krigsvold, a guide at the Pamunkey Indian Museum, tells The Buzz. “We usually bring a deer and some of our pottery, plus maybe some beadwork for the governor’s wife.” For some 350 years, the tribe has not missed a payment.
The museum on the reservation was established in 1979 to provide a living memory of Powhatan's people. “We have exhibits dating from the Ice Age to the present,” Joyce says. “Many of the artifacts, tools, pottery and such, were found here on the reservation.” Also on display are family treasures contributed by members of the tribe. Joyce can point out a headdress worn by her grandfather and a leather dress worn by her grandmother.
The Pamunkey Indian Museum itself is designed to resemble traditional tribal longhouses. “We are small but there is a lot here to see and hear about,” she says.
The museum also has a large collection of antique pottery made by Pamunkey tribal members. “We still are making the same style pots today,” Joyce says. “We use the same clay from the banks of the river. Our coil pots are the ones we are most proud of. We have been using that method since the early 1600s.” Pamunkey pottery made at the tribe’s pottery school is for sale, along with hand-made beadwork and decorative gourds, in the museum shop.
The Pamunkey is one of 11 tribes recognized by the State of Virginia. Along with their neighbors, the Mattaponi, who also signed the 1677 treaty, they are among the very few American Indian tribes anywhere to remain on their ancestral lands. About 35 Pamunkey families continue to live on the peninsula jutting into the Pamunkey River, which joins the Mattaponi River to form the York. The reservation includes about 1200 acres, but much of it is wetlands and marsh.
“It’s a very beautiful region, and quite unique,” says Garrie Rouse, a botanist and environmental consultant who has led numerous kayak trips on the Pamunkey River. “The area near the reservation is a rather rare freshwater tidal marsh with an extensive growth of wild rice. When it ripens in the fall, all kinds of waterfowl and migratory birds gather there. It’s spectacular to explore.”
Much of the traditional Pamunkey lifestyle centers on the river. Duck and other waterfowl hunting remains a major subsistence activity for the Pamunkey while renting out duck blinds provides much needed funds. Another ancient tradition is fishing for American shad and harvesting its roe. The Pamunkey’s traditional shad fishery has been the subject of an exhibit at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC, where Joyce Krigsvold’s nephew works as a guide.
Once present in the millions in Virginia tidal streams, today the shad run has dwindled due to polluted runoff from lawns, fields and golf courses. The Pamunkey Shad Hatchery aims to help the shad survive.
Established in 1918, it is the second oldest fish hatchery in the nation, according to Kim Taylor whose family helps raise the shad and is deeply involved in tribal life. In 2014, her daughter portrayed Pocahontas in the Historic Jamestown reenactment of the Indian maiden’s wedding to John Rolfe on the couple’s 400th anniversary.
“We have a tribal fish fry every year down by the river,” Joyce Krigsvold says. “I don’t much like shad, too bony. But I love the roe. This year we had to eat catfish because there weren’t enough shad.”
While many Pamunkey have to leave their reservation to find work, times are changing. In 2015, the Pamunkey Indian Nation became the first Virginia tribe to receive official recognition from the Federal government. “We’ve been working on this for 27 years,” Joyce explains. “We are very excited.” Although no direct funds come with the recognition, the tribe and its members will now be eligible to apply for special grants and loans.
“We are taking it slow,” Joyce says. “We’d like to see improvements in education, healthcare and housing for our members.” She hopes some funds can go to improve the museum and to open a crafts school where tribal members can learn skills to earn a living without leaving the reservation. So far, no one is talking about opening a casino.
“We’ve also thought about starting up kayaking and canoeing expeditions here on the reservation,” she continues. The tribe’s location, set at the junction of the upper Pamunkey and the lower tidal river, is about perfect for paddlers, according to Garrie Rouse.
“The upper section of the river is narrow and very intimate, with high, tree-lined banks,” he says. “Below the reservation, the tidal marshes widen out down to the junction with the Mattaponi. When you paddle down the Pamunkey, you sort of go back in time. On one side is the reservation, with its marshes and the mound of Powhatan. On the other side are plantation houses from the Colonial era. The setting is not all that different from what it was hundreds of years ago.”
Renee Wright
A graduate of Franconia College in Social Psychology, Renee has worked as Travel Editor for Charlotte Magazine and has written three travel guidebooks for Countryman Press among other writing assignments. She enjoys food and camping.
Make Sure To Stay At:
Kings Dominion Camp Wilderness, perfectly situated for family fun. The newly-updated campground is located just a short drive from Kings Dominion and area attractions. Featuring a variety of site types, tent camping, bathhouses, outdoor pool, and more.