Pocahontas

"All of the farming work except the clearing of the fields was done by the women, assisted by children. That was a standard Woodland Indian practice, and being food producers as well as food preparers seems to have given Powahtan women a higher status in their society than English women had in theirs."3 Powhatan men did the hunting and fishing but were viewed as being lazy by the English settlers because they did not do the farming. No Algonuians used fertilizer on their fields. Most Powhatan towns had their houses scattered randomly among the gardens. Waterways were major sources for food and transportation. "If a waterway was narrow enough, the people in the tribe would build their towns on both sides of it in much the same way that we build on both sides of our major highways."3 Before iron was available the Powhatans used stone to craft knives and arrowheads. Social status was not much valued within the Powhatan tribe as much as it was for the English. The only time social differences were shown was during certain occasions when they had to dress up. "The Powhatan status system was even more evident in the people's behavior toward one another. High-ranking women, such as Pocahontas, were expected to travel with an escort".3 Women could hold a political position within the tribe but unlike the English settlers where it was only the men who were in charge of government positions. Criminals in the Powhatan tribe were punished severely by the chief. They were punished quickly by knocking out the brains or burned to death in a fire. "All Powhatan men wore the basic men's garb: buckskin breechclout, leggings, and moccasins."3 Their hairstyle can be described as longhair in a knot on the left, with their head shaved on the right. "Women wore buckskin aprons and in the forest they wore leggings and moccasins. Their hair was worn loose, or in a single braid with bangs in the front, or cut short all around the head.