There are a number of John Smith and Jamestown Anniversary projects and events going on around the Bay. Here's a list of some of them:
“America 's Anniversary Weekend”
Friday, May 11-Sunday, May 13
Jamestown Island
A weekend of cultural and heritage events, living history and interactive exhibits, musical performances, and other entertainment will mark the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. Festivities take place at three venues—Historic Jamestowne, Jamestown Settlement, and Anniversary Park. For information on events and tickets: www.jamestown2007.org. America's Anniversary Weekend at Jamestown will also mark the official launch of the first national water trail, the reenactment of Smith's voyages in a replica shallop, and NOAA's innovative Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System. The three ceremonial launchings will take place on May 12, starting at 10:30 a.m., and are part of a coordinated effort to draw attention to the new Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historical Trail.
“Algonquian, Iroquoian and English
Language Speakers of the Chesapeake
Bay Drainage through the Time Machine
of Archaeology”
Wayne E. Clark
Thursday, May 17, 7:00 p.m.
Greenwell State Park
Wayne Clark is one of the principal authors of
the new book entitled Captain John Smith’s
Chesapeake Voyages: 1607-1609. The lecture
will illustrate historical and archaeological
evidence from Southern Maryland and
throughout the bay region of the rich
diversity of native cultures that the English
encountered during their initial period of
settlement and exploration. Through the lens
of archaeology, history and linguistics, the
deep history of the different Indian cultures
will be discussed so that the varied native
reactions to Smith’s voyages and English
settlement can be placed in an expanded
historical perspective.
“What’s For Captain Smith’s Dinner? - A
400 Year Comparison of the Plants and
Animals of the Chesapeake Bay”
Dr. Walter Boynton
Thursday, June 21,
7:00 p.m
Flag Ponds Nature Park
What did the Chesapeake Bay’s food web
look like back in the 1600’s? What essential
nutrients were coming from the watershed,
which was almost all forested, and what kind
of plants probably served as the basis of the
food web? What types of animals lived in
this area and how did they manage their daily
lives? A lot has changed in the intervening
centuries, and some things have changed
surprisingly little. As a scientist at UMCES
Chesapeake Biological laboratory, Dr.
Boynton’s specializes in the areas of estuarine
ecosystems production, comparative ecology,
and landscape-estuarine interactions. In this
presentation, he will bring his considerable
knowledge and insightful observations to
bear on the changes in the ecology of the
Chesapeake Bay over the last 400 years.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival: The Roots of Virginia Culture
Wednesday, June 27 - Sunday, July 1 and Wednesday, July 4-Sunday, July 8
National Mall, Washington, D.C.
The 41st annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival explores Virginia's Native American, English, and West African roots and marks the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States.
“A Collision Of Worlds: The Indians
and the English As They Were In 1607”
Helen Rountree
Saturday,
July 7, 7:00 p.m.
Jefferson Patterson Park
and Museum
Many people assume that the Indian world
of 1607 can’t be known, based upon the
short shrift the Indian side of things is given
in popular books and films. Consequently,
the Native Americans are often portrayed as
“mere savages.” In reality we know a good
deal about the world of the Yoacomocos,
Pawtuxunts, and other Algonquian-speakers
around the Chesapeake Bay, thanks to
detailed writings about their customs by
Captain John Smith and others. Helen
Rountree, one of the three principal authors
of Captain John Smith’s Chesapeake Voyages:
1607-1609, shares her unique knowledge of
Native American life as informed by a broad,
multidisciplinary perspective.
American Indian Intertribal Cultural Festival
Saturday, July 21 and Sunday, July 22
Hampton, Virginia
Virginia Indian tribes showcase the various cultures of American Indian nations. Focusing on the contributions and cultures of Virginia Indians, the festival highlights the similarities and differences among Virginia tribes as well as tribes elsewhere in the country through native foods, dances, traditional stories, arts and crafts, cultural demonstrations, and historical information. www.jamestown2007.org.
Patuxent Encounters: The Patuxent Indians and Captain John Smith
Saturday, August 4 and Sunday, August 5
Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum, St. Leonard, Maryland
The two-day festival focuses on the lasting contributions that American Indians have made, and continue to make to the social, political, technological, and cultural fabric of the nation. Features exhibits, traditional dance and music, storytelling, crafts, educational presentations, and the landing of the recreated John Smith shallop.
“Beginning In 1608: Epic Encounters and
Dramatic Changes around Chesapeake
Bay”
Henry M. Miller
Wednesday, August 22, 7:00 p.m.
UMCES
Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
Miller is the Director of Research for
Maryland’s state museum at Historic
St. Mary’s City and has over 35 years of
archaeological and museum experience in the
Chesapeake region. This lecture will address
the 1608 voyage of exploration conducted
by Captain John Smith and the unique
world he encountered. Based on history,
archaeology and ecology, Dr. Miller will discuss English colonization, Chesapeake Bay
Indians, and the natural environments Smith
observed. Smith’s epic voyage spurred a vast
range of changes, both human and natural, in
the Chesapeake region, and the consequences
of his voyage that still influence our lives four
centuries later.
“What’s Happening to Our Beloved
Chesapeake: A Geographer’s Perspective”
Professor Daniel McDermott
Tuesday, September 11, 7:00 p.m.
American Chestnut Land
Trust at the Prince Frederick Library
Using satellite and fine-art imagery, Professor
McDermott will focus on what’s happening
to our beloved Chesapeake. Starting with
historical and geographic facts showing
how the bay was formed, he will illustrate
how the early colonial settlers impacted the
environment. When they came, they brought
not only different land use practices, but
non-native plants and animals that changed
the environment forever. And the changes go
on today, as the impacts of global warming
and rising water levels are beginning to be felt.
Professor McDermott, a cartographer and
photographer, brings a unique perspective
to the ever-changing landscape of the
Chesapeake Bay region.
"The Strange Adventures of Anas
Todkill”
Willie Balderson
Saturday, October 13, 2:00 p.m.
Historic St. Mary’s City
Meet Anas Todkill, a soldier who arrived at
Jamestown in 1607 and accompanied Capt.
John Smith on most of his explorations of the
Chesapeake - including the two 1608 “Voyages
of Discovery.” Balderson, as Anas Todkill,
will share his experiences while exploring
this strange new land we call Virginia, as
well as his encounters with the native people
that live here. Mr. Balderson is a costumed
interpreter for Colonial Williamsburg where
he has perfected the character of Anas Todkill,
a member of John Smith’s crew during
his exploration of the Chesapeake. Willie
Balderson is the Manager of Public History
Development for Colonial Williamsburg.
Chickahominy Corn Festival
Friday, November 9 and Saturday, November 10
Charles City, Virginia
A port-of-call visit by the Jamestown Settlement Godspeed to commemorate Captain John Smith's historic Chickahominy voyages in November 1607 when Smith set out to explore the river and trade with the Chickahominy Indians. Hundreds of barrels of Chickahominy corn fed the Jamestown settlement through its first winter. Festival will feature a ceremonial commemoration of the encounter and demonstrate the many ways in which the “Coarse Ground Corn People,” the Chickahominy, cooked and used corn. Native dancing, crafts, and food. www.charlescity.org.
“The Voyage of the John Smith Shallop:
2007”
Drew McMullen
Thursday, November 15, 7:00 p.m.
Calvert Marine Museum
Mr. McMullen is the President of
Sultana Projects, based in Chestertown,
Maryland. Over the summer of 2007, Sultana
Projects will oversee an effort to reenact
Captain John Smith’s 1608 Chesapeake
expeditions as part of the Captain John
Smith Four Hundred Project. Employing
a full-scale replica of Smith’s open boat, or
“shallop,” and traveling by oar and sail alone,
Sultana’s team of 12 modern adventurers
will spend 121 days retracing the full 2,000
mile route of Smith’s 1608 voyages. During
his presentation McMullen will share
photos, videos and stories from the recently
completed expedition.
The National Park Service, Sultana Projects, Inc., National Geographic, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, NOAA, The Conservation Fund, the states of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and other partners in the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail are developing exhibits, interpretive products, and educational materials related to the trail and the 400th anniversary of the settlement of Smith's expeditions. Check the following websites frequently for information
General Interest:
The Trail:
Education Websites:
Recreational Opportunities:
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