American Indians (First Americans) were the first people who lived in Virginia. Forests, which have a variety of trees, covered most of the land. Because of this, Virginia’s Indians are called Eastern Woodland Indians.

There are 3 American Indian language groups in Virginia: Iroquoian, Siouan, and Algonquian. Many tribes were in each of these three groups. The groups lived in different areas of Virginia.

The Iroquoian group lived mostly in the southwestern Virginia near North Carolina. The Cherokee tribe spoke this language.

The Siouan language group lived in the Piedmont region of Virginia. The Monacan tribe belonged to this group.

The Algonquian language group lived in the Coastal Plain (Tidewater) region. The Powhatan tribe spoke Algonquian.