August 20 was “Native American Day” at Woodville, and visitors were treated to an excellent presentation by authentic re-enactors “Ghost in the Head” and “Otaes”. “Ghost in the Head” is the Huron name for Todd Johnson, a resident of McKeesport who has been educating the public regarding Native Americans of the Late Woodlands period for several decades. I have seen him numerous times previously and am properly impressed with his knowledge and sincerity. “Otaes” is the Cherokee name for Dianne Anestis, a biomedical researcher at Marshall University, and a legitimate expert on the use on native plants for food and medicine.
The two re-enactors alternated effectively throughout the presentation, with Mr. Johnson representing the male perspective and Ms. Anestis, the female approach. Between the two of them, they had brought an impressive display of Native American clothing, weapons and tools appropriate to the time, and typical food and native plants. There was considerable emphasis upon the effect that contact with European traders had, e. g., replacing Stone Age tools and weapons with modern steel axes. It is indeed difficult to imagine the cultural leap that this contact initiated.
Mr. Johnson gave an interesting review of the evolution of weapons, beginning with spears, then the atlatl, the bow and arrow, and finally muzzle-loading flintlock rifles. He even demonstrated a primitive blow-gun and darts, acknowledging that their use was never common in this area. He also explained the manufacture of arrows, beginning with the cultivation of maple shoots and the heat-straightening of them. Another interesting discussion was of snow-shoes, their construction and their value for winter warfare and hunting.
Ms. Anestis relied on her pharmacological background to discuss the role of a Cherokee “war woman” to function as a medic for a war party, relying on native plants as medicine. Her demonstration included passing around examples of plants she had recently picked. Milkweed was particularly useful – its sap is effective for curing wounds and its fluff for stopping bleeding. Willow bark is an effective analgesic, like aspirin. Jewel weed sap functions almost as well as cortisone as an antidote for skin rashes. Staghorn sumac berries are rich in Vitamin C and were used by the natives to prevent scurvy; hemlock bark is another good source of Vitamin C. Mullein is also quite versatile; it is effective as a remedy for lung-related diseases as well as having anti-inflammatory properties. When I commented that I had heard of other uses for its leaves, she grinned and said, “Yes, it is also known as the toilet paper plant”.
She also had an impressive display of the foods that were common for the Native Americans of that era. The well-known trio of corn (maize), squash, and beans was the basis for the diet of those tribes that were able to settle in areas where crops could be cultivated. These, of course, were supplemented by their “hunter-gatherer” alter ego, providing edible roots and berries, nuts, fresh-water mussels, fish, and game (deer, rabbits, etc.). I inquired about edible mushrooms and was informed that there is no evidence the natives were courageous enough to risk identifying non-toxic varieties.
The presenters responded to a specific question with a discussion regarding the common belief that all Native American nations were matriarchal. A matriarchy is defined as a social system in which women hold the primary power positions. It is true that in most cases they were matrilineal (a child took his/her mother’s family name), matrilocal (a married couple lived with the wife’s family), and matrifocal (the mother was head of the family). An exception was the Shawnee nation, which was patrilineal. In general, it is believed that women did indeed control the primary power positions in most of the various nations, at least indirectly.
Although I am interested in how these people lived in the era when settlers begin to move into southwestern Pennsylvania, I am more interested in who they were and where they lived. I continue to believe that there were very few Native Americans with semi-permanent villages in western Pennsylvania and none in the portion of the state bounded by the Ohio and Monongahela Rivers, when the settlers arrived. After discussing this with both Ghost-in-the-Head and Oates I am even more convinced. They brought up two examples – Catfish Camp and Queen Aliquippa. I explained that Catfish (Tingooqua) actually lived at Kuskuski (New Castle) and that his abode in what is now Washington was a temporary hunting camp. Similarly, Queen Aliquippa and her followers lived at McKeesport (The community of Aliquippa was arbitrarily named by the P. & L. E. Railroad, because they liked the sound of the name).
I am, however, firmly convinced that there were permanent Native American villages in this area eight hundred years ago. There is considerable information available about such a site, very close to home. The Drew Site is well documented in an extensive article by William E. Buker in the December, 1970, “Pennsylvania Archaeologist” Bulletin of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology. It was located due west of Bridgeville, between Gould City Hill and Chartiers Creek, about where the northbound ramp from the Bridgeville interchange joins I-79. It occupied a terrace about seventy feet above the level of the creek. The inhabitated site was small, perhaps two acres, and was occupied for a few years about one thousand years ago by a fairly small family unit. It was excavated immediately prior to the construction of the interchange. The “dig” yielded hundreds of artifacts – pottery sherds, tools, weapons, evidence of food, fish and animals and five buried bodies. It is believed that the inhabitants lived in circular huts, much like the one displayed at Woodville and successfully blended two cultures – hunter/gatherer and agricultural.
We are grateful to Woodville for sponsoring this event and hope that someone will sponsor a future event focusing on the culture of the folks who inhabited the Drew Site circa 1223 AD.