Opossunoquonuske facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Opossunoquonuske
Born	Unknown
Disappeared	1610
Died	1610
Other names	Oppussoquionuske or Opposunoquonuske
Family	Opechancanough (Brother)

Opossunoquonuske (also known as Oppussoquionuske or Opposunoquonuske) was a powerful woman leader, called a Weroansqua, of the Appomattoc people. Her town was located near the Appomattox River. A Weroansqua was a leader or commander among the Powhatan Confederacy, a group of Native American tribes in the Virginia coast and Chesapeake Bay area. Opossunoquonuske was known as the "Queen of Appamatuck." Her community was strong enough to provide about twenty warriors to the Powhatan Confederacy.

Many old records from the time of colonization mention Native women leaders, and Opossunoquonuske is one of them. For example, the explorer John Smith called her the "Queen of Appomattoc." Even as European colonization changed things, many Native women like Opossunoquonuske kept their important social and cultural power.

Meeting the Queen of Appamatuck

English settlers wrote the first descriptions of Opossunoquonuske. Captain John Smith said she was "young and comely." Another English captain, Christopher Newport, gave a more detailed description. Newport was a ship captain who helped start the first English colony at Jamestown in 1607.

In May 1607, Newport, Smith, and other explorers sailed upriver from Jamestown. Newport wrote that the "Queene of Apamatuck kindly entreated" them to visit her people. He noted her name was Opossunoquonuske and that she was the sister of Coquonasum, the male leader (werowance) of Appomattoc. Because of her family connections, Opossunoquonuske had the right to rule her people.

Historians believe the Powhatan people might have met the Englishmen earlier at a place called Arrohattoc. Opossunoquonuske made a grand entrance with her helpers. She was very dignified and dressed more elegantly than anyone else. She wore a copper crown and other copper jewelry on her ears and around her neck. Her long black hair reached the middle of her back. She would not "permit none to stand or sit near her," showing her high status.

People who met her also talked about her bravery. Gabriel Archer, an early Jamestown explorer, described Opossunoquonuske as "a fat, lusty, manly woman" after meeting her in 1607. When the English fired their guns, the loud noise was new to the Powhatan people. But Archer said Opossunoquonuske "did not flinch at the sound."

A Bold Stand for Her People

In the winter of 1610, Opossunoquonuske invited fourteen Englishmen to "feast and make merry" in her village. According to William Strachey, a Virginian colonist, she cleverly asked them to leave their weapons in their boat. She said that "their [the Indian] women would be afraid else of their pieces [weapons]." Historians suggest she used this trick on purpose. She had seen English guns fired before and watched with interest, not fear.

Opossunoquonuske served a feast, likely of deer meat or turkey, to her guests. Then, she ordered her people to attack them. Only one Englishman, a drummer, escaped by using the boat's rudder as a shield and rowing away.

In Opossunoquonuske’s culture, fighting enemies bravely was respected. The English were taking over her people's lands. This was a strong reason for Opossunoquonuske to take action against the English visitors. By attacking them, she wanted to send a clear message about the wrongs they had done and show her power. This event shows that Native American women leaders like Opossunoquonuske were not passive.

Opossunoquonuske was wounded as she ran into the woods. She may have died from her injuries, as she is not mentioned in records after this event. Later, another English boat, carrying the governor, reached the James River. The English built a fort there, but the local people fought back fiercely, killing many intruders. The English responded by destroying many houses in the Powhatan town. By 1613, a new English settlement called Bermuda Hundred, Virginia was built at the site of Opossunoquonuske's town. John Smith wrote about the burning of the town but only called the reason "the injury done us by them of Apomatock."

Attacking or killing female leaders like Opossunoquonuske showed that the English knew these women were rightful rulers and strong opponents. The stories of women leaders like Opossunoquonuske of the Appomattoc, the "Queen" of the Massachusett, Matantuck of the Narragansett, and Weetamoo of the Pocasset prove that Native nations had important roles for women leaders. They also show that the colonists recognized their rank and right to rule, whether or not it helped colonial goals.

Family and Tribal Background

After Opossunoquonuske's death, her brother, Opechancanough, became the chief of the Powhatan Confederacy. He led the Confederacy in present-day Virginia from 1618 until his death in 1646. Opechancanough took over from his cousin, Powhatan/Wahunsonacock. Under Powhatan, the Confederacy had grown a lot through wars and marriages. Opossunoquonuske and her brother were both members of the Powhatan Confederacy (around 1570-1677). This Confederacy was a powerful group of over 30 Algonquian-speaking Native American tribes in what is now Virginia, Maryland, and parts of North Carolina, USA.

Opechancanough led the Powhatan people in two major conflicts against the English: the Second (1622-1626) and Third (1644-1646) Anglo-Powhatan Wars. He started the second war with a surprise attack on English settlements, known as the Indian massacre of 1622. These wars were a major effort by the Algonquian people to resist English colonization. In 1646, English colonists captured Opechancanough and took him to Jamestown. He was later killed by a settler who was guarding him.

The English explorers met the Appamatucks, along with the Weyanocks, during their journey. The Appamatucks were one of Powhatan’s original chiefdoms. They were very welcoming to the visitors as they traveled up and down the river. Even though the sound of gunpowder was new and loud, Opossunoquonuske, who had shown some hospitality to the visitors, bravely showed little fear of the noise.

The London Company's Goals

The London Company, also known as the Virginia Company of London, was a business group responsible for starting colonies on the east coast of North America. Documents from Gabriel Archer, an explorer and official note-taker for the trip, confirm this. Historians Helen Rountree and Thomas Appleton explain that the London Company gave specific instructions for this trip. The explorers were told to trade with the Native people, whom they called "savages," and encourage them to change their traditional ways and become Christians.

When the explorers met the Arrohattoc Tribe, also known as the Powhatan, they thought "Powhatan" was the name of the town. This was because an Aboriginal leader named Powhatan ruled about thirty tribes. The land was surrounded by fields of tobacco, corn, beans, and gourds. The local tribes told the explorers about a large body of water beyond the mountains. The English believed these mountains were full of gold. Archer noted that they saw "the queen of this country" and described her as "a fat, lusty, manly woman."

As the Englishmen left, Opossunoquonuske suggested they stop down the river to meet one of her brothers, a werowance named Opechancanough. While early English records say Opossunoquonuske’s village was on the north side of the Appomattox River, old artifacts found at City Point suggest a village might have been there before the English arrived. Opossunoquonuske may have heard about or seen the hospitality given to the newcomers and wanted to build her own relationships with them. Her queenly manner impressed the English visitors. As Archer noted, they saw her "coming in the same fashion of state as Powhatan or Arrohattoc, yes, rather with more Majesty."