Pocahontas

cool find...would like to hear more about this one...

have enjoyed learning about the Powhatan Tribe and the connection to my family tree. Thanks for the making this possible.

I have just found out I am related to Pocahontas. This is thrilling to me! I have gone down the list and everyone I have on my family's list, lead to Pocahontas. What tribe was she?

Matoaka ("Pocahontas") was a member of the Powhatan Confederacy, probably Powhatan tribe (it may have been more of a hegemony, since the leaders usually came from the Powhatans). They were Algonquian (or Algic) speakers (one of several major Native American language families - other big ones are Iroquoian, Siouan, and Na-dene, and there were many many smaller ones).

http://www.powhatan.org/history.html

And no, they were NOT "Cherokee".

That's a completely different tribe/group of tribes/nation, speaking a completely different language, belonging to a completely different language family, and living in a different area (south and west, above the fall line). The English settlers didn't even know they were there until Pocahontas' great-grandchildren were toddling about. :-P

So, Pocahontas was not Cherokee. I was not aware the was a tribe called Powhatan. I always heard of Chief Powhatan....I THOUGHT they were of Cherokee....but they are of Powhatan tribe. Where did they originate from and where did they end up at? I just know I am related to her thru Harmanson's, Respess, Savage.....etc.

There are a few Powhatan Renape survivors in New Jersey, descendants of Nanticokes and Rappahannocks who were forced out of their traditional Tidewater Virginia/Delaware homeland. http://www.powhatan.org/history.html There may be others keeping a low profile elsewhere.

If you could ask old Powhatan, he would probably tell you his people had been in the Tidewater area "since the beginning of time". For all intents and purposes this is close enough, though their remote ancestors probably made their way across Beringia into and across North America tens of thousands of years ago.