Who were some famous Powhatan Indians?
The most important Powhatan Indian was Chief Powhatan. His real name was Wahunsonacock. “Chief Powhatan” was his title as the leader of the Powhatan Confederacy. Chief Powhatan was actually more like a European king than a traditional Algonquian chief. In most Algonquian tribes, village chiefs came together in councils to make important decisions, and all the chiefs had to agree to take an action. But Chief Powhatan was an absolute ruler. Village chiefs had to obey Powhatan’s commands and pay tribute to him. The most famous Powhatan Indian was Chief Powhatan’s daughter Pocahontas. A lot of stories told about Pocahontas are not true. Pocahontas was only eleven years old when she met John Smith, and they did not have a romance. The story about Pocahontas saving his life may not be true either. But Pocahontas really did marry another English colonist, John Rolfe. It was the most famous interracial marriage of the time. Pocahontas was only 21 when she died, but many people are descended fr
