While researching the Algonquian language group of Virginia, I discovered an etching of a Powhatan village by Captain John Smith. His rendering of the Powhatan community he encountered is important to my research in that John Smith was one of the very few to record Algonquian words and phrases. After the language became extinct, his work was one of two primary sources from which to piece together the remnants of the Powhatan language.

Another source I found was a relatively recent newspaper article discussing the work of Dr. Blair A. Rudes, a linguist from the University of North Carolina. Rudes worked to piece together the Powhatan language for “The New World.” The director, Terrence Malick, wanted the movie to be as authentic as possible — which included actors speaking the now-extinct Powhatan. According to the article, Rudes built the movie’s dialogue from the work of Captain Smith and Jamestown colony secretary William Strachey. Between Smith and Strachey, only 650 Powhatan words and phrases were recorded.

Finally, I clicked through the Virginia Native American artifact collection on the National Museum of the American Indian’s website. While the various artifacts don’t directly relate to my research, it was interesting to see what remains of the Native Americans of this state.