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Monacan tribe topic of society meeting
NATURAL BRIDGE - Ten thousand years ago an indigenous people, now called Monacan, watched the travels of the sun from Bear Mountain in Amherst County. Descendents of those men and women are still there, and in many other parts of Virginia, and they are watching the sun shine on their heritage once again.
The first recorded mention of the Monacan was made by John Smith in 1607. By 1700 contact with the Europeans and continuing tribal conflicts greatly reduced the numbers and territory of the Monacan. Not recognized by the Commonwealth until 1989, the Monacan Confederacy (which includes the Monacans, the Tutelo, Saponi and Mannahoac Nations) has begun to renew and grow in their heritage and culture.
At Natural Bridge, a place sacred to the Monacan, a living history center has been giving visitors an opportunity to witness the village life of the Monacan as it might have been 300 years ago. The interpretive history director at Natural Bridge, Dean Ferguson, will bring a presentation to the Highland County Public Library to show how the tools of physical archaeology were used in the reconstruction of the village. The palisades and wigwams at Natural Bridge are based on the archaeology at Buzzard Rock near Buena Vista, another Monacan settlement that was called Hico-oto or Turkey Buzzard Lodge. None of the wooden structures survived intact but instead left distinctive evidence in the soils. And that evidence has lead to accurate reconstruction.
To complement to the physical archaeology portion, Victoria DiProsperis, his wife and a member of the Monacan Confederacy, will provide the cultural aspect in her work with oral traditions of the Monacan. The narrative tradition is an important part of indigenous culture, teaching skills and values to all the members of their societies. The Monacan are one of the Siouan speaking tribes and have cultural connections to some of the Plains tribes, especially the Lakota. Victoria also has a family connection to this area through her grandmother that is a poignant and bittersweet story.
Join the Highlands Chapter of the Archaeology Society of Virginia at its meeting Thursday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. in the Highland County Public Library. The public is invited and prospective members are encouraged to attend.
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