For Educators

Indigenous Perspectives examines aspects of the Library of Virginia’s collections through the lenses of the 11 federally and state-recognized Virginia tribes. Our collections include documents related to Indigenous Virginians from the state’s origins as an English colony until the present. These records both documented and purported to justify the process of colonization, land dispossession, and sometimes eradication of Indigenous peoples. Nevertheless, the Library’s collections also contain records created by Indigenous peoples that represent their worldview and that challenge the accepted narrative. We have compiled these resources as a reference for teachers and students learning about the history and culture of Virginia Indians. Learn more by downloading the Library’s Guide to Resources on Virginia Indians (pdf).

John Smith’s Map and the Recovery of Tribal Pasts

In this video, tribal citizens of Virginia’s state recognized tribes reflect on what Captain John Smith’s map means to them. Smith explored the Chesapeake Bay and its adjacent waterways in 1608. He interacted with Indigenous peoples and relied on them for information about the region they knew as Tsenacomoco. The names and locations included on the map have preserved Indigenous knowledge of the land and the people living there.

Indigenous Perspectives: Indian Schools in Virginia

In this interactive display, explore different sites where Virginia Indian students attended school between the 17th and the 20th centuries. Colonialism, racial segregation, and other forces impinged on these efforts, yet some tribes were able to control their own schools. For many years, members of Virginia tribes were denied access to public high schools and as a result had to leave home to earn a high school diploma.