Mattaponi Tribe History
For good reasons the Mattaponi Indians may be classified definitely as a branch of the Pamunkey, as such, their history often mirrors theirs.
Mush
The Texas Cherokee 1820-1830
Between 1812 and 1836, the Texas Cherokee Nation faced significant challenges as they settled in Texas after migrating from Arkansas. Led by Chief John Bowles, they sought peace, gaining recognition as Mexican citizens. However, rising tensions with the Republic of Texas culminated in their expulsion in 1839. Despite earlier treaties affirming their land rights, the government adopted destructive policies against them, ultimately leading to conflict. This tragic history underscores the complexities of their struggle for land and sovereignty, mirroring broader themes of displacement and conflict in American history.
Powhatan Pottery
First let us look over the material from the Virginia tidewater area. Everywhere here from the southern boundary of Virginia by actual observation, north-ward even through the Delaware valley, the pot-sherds are almost identical in material, decoration and color. Holmes has appropriately called the ceramics of the tidewater “the Algonquian type.” On the Pamunkey, Mattaponi, Rappahannock, James, and Chickahominy rivers it is all the same, the rims, decorations, and ingredients being practically uniform within a certain range of variation.