What was life like for the Powhatan Indians during the time of John Smith's arrival?

The Powhatan people were not as primitive as I had imagined. The community worked together to form an unexpectedly sophisticated culture with the resources that were available. Unlike the traditional image of a Native American's shelter that we know as the tipi, the Powhatan people lived in sturdy structures that they called yehakins. These yehakins, which were made mostly from wood, kept families safe from the cold. Each family lived in their own yehakin and usually only spent time in it to sleep. A fire was kept burning at all times to keep insects away, keep the family warm, and it was thought to bring good luck (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcNIInL9gtY).

The men in the tribe were responsible for hunting and fishing. Deer, turkey, and other small game animals were commonly hunted using spears and arrows. Logs were hollowed out to form canoes to fish with and travel the many streams that wind through the Chesapeake region. The canoes were 50 feet long and made of cypress. It was a long process but necessary for transportation. The women harvested a variety of crops for their family. Outside of each yehakin was usually a garden. Corn, squash, beans, and sunflower seeds were grown in the gardens. Roots, nuts, wild plants, berries, and grains were consumed during the harsh winters.  The children had an easy life. Boys played around the gardens and kept animals out by throwing stones at them. Girls learned the skills it took to be an adult woman by helping their mother. Both the boys and the girls played together and didn't take on much responsibility until they were young adults. Marriage took place around age fourteen and boys chosen to be leaders had to endure many trials of isolation and hardships in order to prove themselves worthy of the position (http://ab.mec.edu/jamestown/gljpivcc.html).

The Powhatan men generally wore very little for clothing. Animal hide or grass covered the area between their thighs. The people were not afraid to be exposed to the rest of the community. Men with high status would were a garment similar to a shirt made of deer skin. The right side of the men's head was shaved to avoid getting their hair caught in their bow while hunting. The other side of their head had long hair that was decorated with braids and beads. Women wore fringed deer skin as a skirt. The younger girls had to shave the sides of their heads and had long dark hair in the center that was braided. Tattoos were very popular with the Powhatan people which decorated much of their bodies (http://virginiaindians.pwnet.org/culture/clothing.php).

Religion was a major part of the Powhatan society. They had several gods that represented much of nature, but their main god of worship was named Okee. Kwiocosuks acted as shamans who were the spiritual leaders. They lived apart from the rest of the village in huts called Quiocosins. These Quiocosins were also the holy temples where many rituals took place. Rituals took place for eating, hunting, male iniatition, killing of prisoners, and many other activities the people felt necessary to please the gods for. The Powhatan were resistant to be converted to Christianity until the eighteenth century. Most of the Indians in the region today are Southern Baptist (http://encyclopediavirginia.org/Religion_in_Early_Virginia_Indian_Society).