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Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; and gender and sexual orientation.
Context
Cockacoeske was a significant figure in the history of the Pamunkey tribe in Virginia. She was a descendant of Opechancanough, the brother of Powhatan, who had been the paramount chief of the Powhatan Confederacy. Cockacoeske became weroansqua, or leader, of the Pamunkey after her husband Totopotomoy died in 1656 while fighting as an ally of Virginia's government. In many Indigenous societies, women held positions of power and authority, participating in decision-making and governance alongside men. This stood in stark contrast to the roles of English women in the colony. Female leaders like Cockacoeske played crucial roles in maintaining the social, political, and cultural fabric of their communities.
At the time of Cockacoeske's leadership, the Pamunkey were tributaries of the English crown. In 1676, the Virginia Assembly called Cockacoeske to appear before a committee of burgesses and Council members in Jamestown. Fighting between colonists and Indigenous tribes had intensified with Nathaniel Bacon's recent indiscriminate attacks against friends and foes, and the Assembly sought allies in the colony's war against the Susquehannock tribe. Cockacoeske attended wearing a full-length deerskin mantle (or cloak) with a woven band of beaded wampum and peake shells around her head. Described as having "a Majestick air," she addressed the audience of white men and reminded them that Pamunkey warriors had fought and died alongside them, with no compensation to the Pamunkey. She struck a deal with the council to provide a dozen men to help protect the colony against hostile frontier tribes and signed a treaty with the colony in March.
During Bacon's Rebellion that summer, Nathaniel Bacon and his followers attacked the Pamunkey, killing some of Cockacoeske's people and capturing forty-five. Cockacoeske herself had to abandon all her belongings and take refuge in the Dragon Swamp, on the Middle Peninsula. There, the group she sheltered nearly starved. In February 1677, she petitioned the General Assembly to release the captives and restore Pamunkey property. The Virginia burgesses were unresponsive, but royal representatives who had been sent to quell the rebellion and investigate its origins determined that her loyalty should be rewarded.
Cockacoeske's diplomatic efforts culminated in the signing of the Treaty of Middle Plantation on May 29, 1677. This treaty reunited several tribes under her authority, marking a significant achievement for her leadership. The treaty also protected her tribe’s hunting rights and granted them the right to submit complaints to the governor who was to dispense justice as though they were Englishmen. Cockacoeske led the Pamunkey until her death in 1686. Her legacy as a female leader and diplomat testifies to the strength and resilience of Indigenous Virginians during the challenges of colonial expansion.
This frontlet was commissioned by King Charles II as a gift for Cockacoeske, "The Queene of Pamunkey," in recognition of her loyalty. The hammered silver is engraved with the British royal coat of arms.
Citation: Frontlet, circa 1677, engraved and hammered silver, loaned for the Library of Virginia's Indigenous Perspectives exhibition by the Pamunkey Indian Museum and Cultural Center (2024).
Related Document Bank entry:
Treaty of Middle Plantation, Signature page, 1677
At the time of Cockacoeske's leadership, the Pamunkey were tributaries of the English crown. In 1676, the Virginia Assembly called Cockacoeske to appear before a committee of burgesses and Council members in Jamestown. Fighting between colonists and Indigenous tribes had intensified with Nathaniel Bacon's recent indiscriminate attacks against friends and foes, and the Assembly sought allies in the colony's war against the Susquehannock tribe. Cockacoeske attended wearing a full-length deerskin mantle (or cloak) with a woven band of beaded wampum and peake shells around her head. Described as having "a Majestick air," she addressed the audience of white men and reminded them that Pamunkey warriors had fought and died alongside them, with no compensation to the Pamunkey. She struck a deal with the council to provide a dozen men to help protect the colony against hostile frontier tribes and signed a treaty with the colony in March.
During Bacon's Rebellion that summer, Nathaniel Bacon and his followers attacked the Pamunkey, killing some of Cockacoeske's people and capturing forty-five. Cockacoeske herself had to abandon all her belongings and take refuge in the Dragon Swamp, on the Middle Peninsula. There, the group she sheltered nearly starved. In February 1677, she petitioned the General Assembly to release the captives and restore Pamunkey property. The Virginia burgesses were unresponsive, but royal representatives who had been sent to quell the rebellion and investigate its origins determined that her loyalty should be rewarded.
Cockacoeske's diplomatic efforts culminated in the signing of the Treaty of Middle Plantation on May 29, 1677. This treaty reunited several tribes under her authority, marking a significant achievement for her leadership. The treaty also protected her tribe’s hunting rights and granted them the right to submit complaints to the governor who was to dispense justice as though they were Englishmen. Cockacoeske led the Pamunkey until her death in 1686. Her legacy as a female leader and diplomat testifies to the strength and resilience of Indigenous Virginians during the challenges of colonial expansion.
This frontlet was commissioned by King Charles II as a gift for Cockacoeske, "The Queene of Pamunkey," in recognition of her loyalty. The hammered silver is engraved with the British royal coat of arms.
Citation: Frontlet, circa 1677, engraved and hammered silver, loaned for the Library of Virginia's Indigenous Perspectives exhibition by the Pamunkey Indian Museum and Cultural Center (2024).
Related Document Bank entry:
Treaty of Middle Plantation, Signature page, 1677
Standards
VS.2, VS.3, VS.4, US1.3, WHII.3, VUS.4
Suggested Questions
Preview Activity
Take a look: Look at the silver frontlet given to Cockacoeske. What do you think this piece represents about her role as a leader and the significance of her legacy?
Post Activity
Food For Thought: Why do you think it is important to recognize and celebrate the contributions of female leaders in history?
Take a look: Look at the silver frontlet given to Cockacoeske. What do you think this piece represents about her role as a leader and the significance of her legacy?
Post Activity
Food For Thought: Why do you think it is important to recognize and celebrate the contributions of female leaders in history?