Wednesday September 1, 2010

  

 

Road Trip – Day 3

Monacan Village

At Natural Bridge

Thursday, August 20

 

 

The first time you notice the Native American Village – during the early part of Cedar Creek Nature Trail – is when you approach the palisade (fence).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This exhibit is a bit grassy and weedy, but there is a variety of garden and herb items here.

 

 

 

 

I found the house quite interesting. The interpreter said there would be thirty or forty of these in a village, but because of space there is only one here.

 

 

I soon learned that their wigwams or ATI were only used for sleeping, storage, and protection from the elements. Cooking, sewing, and crafts were done in special shelters.

 

 

Beds were probably comfortable to them, but they don’t look real comfortable to me.

 

 

The interior was very dark and smelled of smoke. I was able to take these pictures because of a good flash.

 

 

The source of the pungent smell of smoke.

 

 

Drying corn

 

 

 

 

Gourds and baskets were used for storage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a sample of a village cooking area. The size depended on the number of people living inside the palisade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And interpreter explained the process of tanning and how various hides were used, traded, or sold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is where women did their stitching, weaving, crafts, and maybe prepared something for a meal.

 

 

 

 

Three hundred years ago life was quite different for Native Americans, and anyone living in the United States.

This was an interesting trip back in history.

 

 

European colonists arriving in Virginia may have been greeted with, “Wingapo.” If you ask any Virginia Indian, “When did you come to this land?”, he or she will tell you, “We have always been here.”

 

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Tomorrow: Visiting Chaplain David Nispel at the chapel in Wytheville, VA.

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