Nahyssan Indians

Nahyssan Tribe: A contraction of Monahassano or Monahassanugh, remembered in later times as Yesan. Nahyssan Connections. The Nahyssan belonged to the Siouan linguistic stock, their nearest relatives being the Tutelo, Saponi, and probably the Monacan and Manahoac. Nahyssan Location. The oldest known location of the Nahyssan has been identified by D. I. Bushnell, Jr. (1930), within very narrow limits as “probably on the left bank of the James, about 1½ miles up the stream from Wingina, in Nelson County.” Nahyssan History. In 1650 Blande and his companions noted a site, 12 miles south-southwest of the present Petersburg, called “Manks Nessoneicks” … Read more