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In the summer of 1561, Spanish explorers abducted a Powhatan Indian youth from the Chesapeake Bay tidewater region and brought him to the royal court of Spain. The kidnapping set off a chain of events that would alter the course of American colonial history. The abduction itself wasn’t unusual, since the Spanish in America often trained Native youth to serve as interpreters, or pressed them for information about local peoples and perhaps the whereabouts of gold or silver. But “Paquiquineo,” as Spanish officials rendered the young man’s name later that year, would in time re-emerge as Opechancanough, the most formidable...

Ultima Thule, the farthest cosmic body ever visited by a spacecraft, has been officially renamed Arrokoth, or "sky" in the Native American Powhatan and Algonquian languages, following a significant backlash over the old name's Nazi connotations. The icy rock, which orbits in the dark and frigid Kuiper Belt about a billion miles beyond Pluto, was visited by the NASA spaceship New Horizons in January this year, with the first detailed images showing it consisted of two spheres stuck together in the shape of a snowman. Its technical designation is 2014 MU69 but the New Horizon team initially nicknamed it Ultima...

Archaeologists at Historic Jamestown have discovered the tenth Virginia-made pipe with a name inscribed on the stem. It’s the first new named pipe found at the site since 2009, and in contrast to most of the earlier discoveries, the name is complete: William Faldo. The stockholders of the Virginia Company were expecting to make a quick profit from their investment in the Jamestown settlement, but the struggling colonists could barely keep themselves alive, never mind send back the riches in minerals and trade goods the company had envisioned. They weren’t even self-sufficient, having clashed with the Powhatan tribes weeks after...

Historian Tony Horwitz tries to separate the truth from the myths that have been built up about the Jamestown “princess” Pocahontas is the most myth-encrusted figure in early America, a romantic “princess” who saves John Smith and the struggling Jamestown colony. But this fairy tale, familiar to millions today from storybook and film, bears little resemblance to the extraordinary young woman who crossed cultures and oceans in her brief and ultimately tragic life. The startling artwork (above), the oldest in the National Portrait Gallery collection, is the only image of Pocahontas taken from life. Made during her visit to London...

Powhatan County will celebrate Operation Spruce Up in April, but not Confederate History and Heritage Month... The Board of Supervisors voted last night to recognize the anti-litter campaign but rejected the Confederate event. "I cannot support any motion that would be this divisive," Supervisor Russell E. Holland. The controversial proclamation, requested by the Powhatan Troop of the Sons of Confederate Veterans...

Gideons Honored for Military Service Amy Ridolphi, EditorMajor Chris Gideons knows the reality of combat first-hand. Despite the daily dangers he faced during his tour in Iraq, the Marine was recognized with high honors for his bravery. Gideons, a graduate of Powhatan High School, received the Bronze Star for combat upon his return to the states two months ago. The honor is a note of pride for both him and his family. Gideons was deployed to Kuwait last February as a member of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. As the operations officer, Gideons helped lead the...