Virginias History with Native Amerians
Native Americans have lived in Virginia for roughly 17,000 years before the Englishmen came into contact with the new World. They did not write or have any sense of literature. However, what they could do was draw and do storytelling. Because they would not write anything down, this would lead to the complex process of ethnobotany and phytomedicines ( the process of products from botanicals or plants) that spread to each native orally. First, tribal members stated that much herbal knowledge had passed away with their grandparents’ generation.
The Natives before the Englishmen arrived were known as the Algonquian empire and inhabited the coastal plains of Virginia. Once powerful, they grew an abundance of crops and used plants locally. Over time, they collectively are known as the Powhatan Native Americans. The name “Powhatan” refers to several tribes, including the Pamunkey, Mattaponi, Chickahominy, and Rappahannock, which lived in this region
After the Englishmen arrived
Some native people wanted to keep the traditional lifestyles, while others accepted white culture. Powhatan religion and language, central aspects of the culture, were gradually replaced by Christianity and English. Because of this, the Powhatans would slowly fall out of using botanicals and natural resources for their practices. Unfortunately, recorded knowledge of medicinal plant use among the Powhatan prior to colonization is sparse. Most available works from the Colonial period were authored by Englishmen who did not always distinguish between the cultural practices of the Powhatan and other Native American groups with which they interacted