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Wolf Creek Indian Village & Museum

Village Sponsorship

Click on the pictures or thumbnails or click here for Village interactive map. Click here for interactive Complex map. Both maps will bring you back to the details on this page.

This section details the available sponsorships of the living village the museum and the special programs connected to each. These areas will be used to explain the daily living skills and lives of our nation’s first people, to teach about the difference through out the country of the various tribes by comparison/ contrast and to introduce current modern Native tribal culture in programs throughout the museum .

Main House Features

Wolf Creek Indian Village has (10) large features located on it that are being rebuilt in accordance with Mr. MacCord’s notes. These particular structures are being built as typical roundhouse structures used by numerous cultures throughout Native American history. The newly constructed roundhouses will be crafted using 3”-4” x 8’-10’ treated yellow pine poles, bamboo matting (to mimic river cane, a natural material which the first people in our area would have known) for the interior and exterior of the structures, and a synthetic bark for the roof covering. These materials are being used to best replicate the natural materials used by the Native American Indians, while helping to reduce the environmental impact that would certainly exist if using natural materials.

The guides will use these structures as different “task” areas during tours to demonstrate the daily living skills and lives of our nation’s first people. Our staff works in accordance with the Virginia Standards of Learning Tests (SOLS) and the West Virginia WES Test to ensure that we are providing the best possible educational opportunities for school groups and continue to research materials to become the standard for Native American history and skills for tourists visiting our facilities.

The (10) main house structures we are building or have in the process are as follows:

1. Feature 32 Wolf Creek Council House Meeting Lodge Sponsorship: $25,000

This is the largest structure in the village, with 57 posts set in a circle 25.1' in diameter. A central hearth (Feature 32-A) and two small storage pits (Features 4 and 13) were inside the house and probably were used by the occupants. The central hearth measured 2.5' x 3.01' with the thickness of red-burned clay measuring two tenths of a foot. Feature13 is a bell pit that has a small narrow opening about 8 inches in diameter, dug straight down about a foot and then it bells out in the bottom about a foot in diameter. In the bottom of Feature 13 were found fired stone and charcoal. It is thought to be a separate cooking pit. One you could place a pot over or even a flat rock for cooking. Stones are heated in a larger fire pit or a small fire is built in it. The oldest carbon dating of 1215 AD was taken from charcoal in this pit. We believe Feature 13 being in the special large building on the site. It could have been a special old piece of wood that was burned in that bell pit to give this date. Twenty post molds were also found inside the house and parallel to the wall were probably were support posts for benches, racks, or possibly sleeping platforms. Several other post molds may have held posts supporting the flattish dome roof. The two features, which underlay the house, are almost certainly older. This includes (F-51), which Mr. MacCord thought was a storage structure. When we laid out the posts again we found it to be a part of Feature 32, the eastern doorway. The other is a small hearth (F-50). The two storage pits were in the southern portion of the house, away from the village center and presumably on the side of the house away from the entrance. Burials 1, 2, and 14 were adjacent to this house, but about 10 feet from it to the southwest.

With the help of your sponsorship of the Wolf Creek Meeting Lodge, you help us create a place where school children & visitors experience what it must have been like for the Native people to come together as a group in a central meetinghouse. Benches are placed along the walls in rows allowing a large group to meet at council. The Council House Meeting Lodge is used on special occasions by the First Peoples’ distinguished guests to educate visitors about their people’s different ceremonies, customs, story telling, tribal history and cultural hierarchy. We also use the lodge to teach about Native American art symbols through the use of “rock paint”. We make the paint in the village using available rocks such as an iron oxide containing sandstone. This stone crushed to a fine powder, with water added makes water paint, and when added with animal fat, makes an oil paint. It can be used for decoration to paint skin, hides, and pottery.

2. Feature 33 - Bead Woman Lodge Sponsorship: $25,000

Feature 33 was a pattern of 38 posts forming a circle with a flat side adjacent to the (Feature 32) house. This structure measured 22.5” south to north and 21.1” east to west. A central hearth (F-33-A) probably served the occupants for cooking and heating and was an unusually large pit 4.6' x 3. 6’, burned to a depth of .2'. No storage pits were present in the house. Twenty-six post molds were centered on the hearth and may have held roof supports. There were fourteen others aligned parallel to the wall.

Bead Woman Lodge is named in honor of the burial of a woman in Feature 69 that was found on the original site. She was a young adult female buried under flat stone. In the neck and shoulder regions were found 1330 marginalia beads, which was thought to have been possibly an embroidered mantle a necklace, or both.

Bead Woman Lodge is set out as an entire family home. Beds aligned on the wall would be covered with soft furs. The displays will include examples of articles such as the tools, baskets etc needed for a family to live in an Eastern Woodland home. In this structure visitors will have the opportunity to learn the daily living life styles of early Native American peoples of the Eastern Woodland time period. They will be given a comparison and contrast to allow imaginations to roam and envision what it may have been like to actually live in a village some 500 years into the past. Our staff enjoys the phrase “Imagine your bedroom being the only room in the your house and in that bedroom, you are living with all members of your family!” Guides will also discuss to our school groups and tourists the journey of Native American history and give insight into where Native American people are today. This structure will also be used to distinguish the differences in housing from different Native American groups from the different regions of the North American continent.

3. Feature 34 - Grandmother Spider's Lodge (Pottery) Sponsorship: $25,000

This house was a pattern of 38 Post molds, measuring 23.6' in diameter. A Hearth (4-A) was south of center in the house but still far enough from the wall to have served for cooking or heating. One pit containing stones and charcoal (F-25) a bell pit was in half of the house away from the probable doorway, and a small feature (F-60) contained flat stones with pieces of bone, was of uncertain use. Six post molds may represent roof-support posts. A small arc of 7 post molds, of which there is another in the 3 Sisters Lodge, is of uncertain use. After consultation of various tribes, the closest explanation we can come to is an inside storage grained or pantry. This house has a well-defined doorway on the side towards the plaza. Burial 12, which was a young adult female with shell ornaments, is found outside of this feature. She is thought to have belonged to this home.

Grandmother Spider lodge will be dedicated to the skill of pottery. Grandmother Spider's Lodge is given its name in honor of a Cherokee legend of Grandmother Spider and her quest for fire discovered that clay fired creates a bowl. A great attribute to the Brown-Johnston site is the presence of a natural clay seam. Guides will use this as a great educational reference in the demonstration of molding clay into a usable material such as pots, pipes, medallions, beads, cups, marbles, boiling stone, sling beads, etc. School children and visitors alike are encouraged to get hands on learning experience with the crushing of clay or even the chance to create their very own pipe for the Wolf Creek staff to fire and use in future tours. Visitors will also learn how, from an archeological aspect, pottery can be used in the determination of how native people lived and from what areas did they traded from. This was done in the Brown-Johnston site with the presence of clay materials and styles not local to the area, indicating that some of these materials were probably trade items.

4. Feature 40 – Three Sisters Lodge Sponsorship: $25,000

This house was a pattern of 47 post molds 20.8' in diameter. A Hearth (F-40 A) was east of center in the house. The hearth was lined with one inch of clay fired. It is not known the purpose of this. One wall on the north side the post molds were very close together. It had very large doorways. This house also had a small arch of 7 post molds near the wall that is of uncertain use. We have contacted various tribes and the closest explanation we can come to is an inside storage granary or pantry.

This structure is named The Three Sisters structure in honor of the fact that many Native American cultures had the story of the three sisters that were grown together in a mound to help supplement and support each other for optimum growth. Corn, beans, and squash were known by the Natives to be the three sisters. During the 1970 dig of the Brown-Johnston site, corn kernels were found. This indicates that the people from the original site did have an estimated 13 acres under agricultural cultivation that would have supported the estimated 100 individuals in the tribe. For school groups and visitors, this structure will be used for an in depth look into the Eastern Woodland Indians diet prior to European contact. Children and tourists will explore the methods that the Natives would use for gathering the local flora and fauna to produce food, teas, medicines, etc. that were so essential to primitive life. Our guests will also delve into the aspects of early gardening techniques and will be given the chance to grind their own corn meal or acorn meal, learn of the turtle who carries the world on his back, or even get a first hand lesson in early mosquito repellent.

5. Feature 39 – Basket Weaver's Lodge Sponsorship: $25,000

This house was a pattern of 29 post molds, 18.0' in diameter. A central hearth (F-39-A) that would have been used for cooking and heating was found in the center of the structure. A doorway on the southeastern side fronts on the plaza side of the structure is also shown. Nine post molds randomly spaced in the house may have been roof-supports, racks or partitions. Two small pits were found next to the fire pit. F-19 was a bell pit used for cooking. Another was a very small pit of unknown origin but had charcoal and chert flakes in it.

In this house structure, visitors will learn the craft of basketry and the important uses of baskets to the Eastern Woodland Indians. From fishing baskets, pine needle baskets, arrow quiver, or water containers, individuals will get an understanding of the assortment of materials that are locally available to construct a functional basket. School children and tourists will also be taught the skill of making rope or cordage. Each child and visitor is encouraged to learn this simple, yet essential, skill and is given the opportunity to create his or her own rope bracelet as a keepsake Indian. The guides of Wolf Creek purchase and gather materials to make thousands of cordage bracelets every year to hand out, ensuring that no child leaves Wolf Creek Indian Village without a memento. This skill would have been essential to the daily life of the First People because with the skill of cordage, they could “tie” their life together, either by using cordage to hold their house structures together, dragging game out of the woods, or for use in hunting and trapping.

6. Feature 45 – Madison Arrow Lodge Sponsorship: $25,000

This was a circle of 34 post molds with a diameter of 21.3'. This house is connected to house 46. A central hearth (F-45-A) was the hearth found in the test square dug in the fall of 1969. This hearth was two feet across and 2' thick. A storage pit (Feature 27) containing numerous fire-cracked stones but no evidence of burning in situ was found southwest of the central hearth. Eighteen randomly placed post molds probably indicate racks, benches, etc.

The Madison Arrow Lodge gets its name from the numerous Madison arrow points that were found in the original Brown-Johnston site. * The Madison point is described as “a small to medium size, thin, triangular point with usually straight to convex sides. Bases are straight to concave. Some examples are notched on one to two sides. Many are of high quality and some are finely serrated. (Overstreet Identification and Price Guide to Indian Arrowheads, Robert M. Overstreet, 9^th edition.) This structure will be used for the teaching and demonstrating of stone and bone tool making. The basic methods of flint-knapping will be shown by village guides and by the occasional expert knapper. This demonstration is done by showing the techniques of using stone, deer antlers, or copper tools to chip small flakes of flint, obsidian, jasper, and etc. from a larger piece to produce arrow and spear point, axes, drills, knives, etc. Guests will be educated on the uses of both stone and bone, how the Natives dropped large trees using small stone axes and fire, primitive cutting implements, and the uses of different stones from the point of view that a primitive stone worker may have looked at stones. Visitors also get hands on experience of using a crafted hand drill, a saw from the lower jawbone of a whitetail deer, or the change to work on a bone tool that will later be used by a guide at Wolf Creek. School children will get a first hand account of geology and resourcefulness from this structure.

7. Feature 37 – Tool Maker's Lodge - Sponsorship: $25,000

This was roughly circular, composed of 41 post molds, measuring 19.8' X 20.8' with the longer axis east to west. No hearth or other feature was found inside this house and no distinct doorway was noted. This structure overlaps feature 38, which is believed to have been taken down to make room for additional housing once the full village had been established.

This structure will be known as the Tool Maker’s Lodge and will store Wolf Creek’s modern day equipment. It will be used as a primary storage facility for maintenance equipment used in the daily upkeep of the living museum of Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum. This structure will not be open to the public, however, it will serve as a standing statement to bring the entire village together and give the sense of a complete living Native American Indian village of unknown descent that once settled a secluded section of Bland County.

8. Feature 46 – Hunters Lodge Sponsorship: $15,000

Feature 46 was a circle of 26 post molds with a diameter of 19.3 feet. A large central hearth (F-46-A) measured 4.0’ x 3.0’ with the thickest deposit of burned clay and wood ash found in the village. This was over one foot think, extending upward into the plow-zone and nearly one foot into the subsoil, with many periwinkle shells included in the wood ashes. Such as amount of hearth debris indicates a long-continued use, and it is probable that this hearth dates from the beginning occupation of the site. The house overlaps an earlier house, Feature 48, and is closely tangent to houses 45 and 52.

This house structure will be known as Hunter’s lodge and will be used as an educational facility in hunting techniques and skills used by the Native American groups of the area. Students and tourists will be given an in-depth look into the weapons used by many tribes and a look into different technologies that have been incorporated throughout the existence of the Native American culture. Visitors will get an understanding of the different ways the First People were able to use weapons, traps and snares, and various hunting techniques to exist in a wild and unforgiving wilderness.

9. Feature 52 –Tanner's Lodge Sponsorship: $15,000

This structure was a circle of 36 post molds 19.8' in diameter. It has a central hearth, (F-52-A) which was 1.5' across and located just west on the side of the house towards the plaza. A small hearth just west of the house and inside probably predates the structure. Sixteen post molds inside house 52 may have been for racks, benches and so on.

This structure will be known as the Tanner’s lodge because of the hide tanning skill that will be demonstrated in it. A well trained guide will use donated animal skins from around the surrounding areas to educate school groups and tourists alike about the process of turning hides into workable raw hide or leather. This is done by scrapping all fat and remaining flesh from the inside of an animal skin, stretching of the hide, scrapping the skin using guide made primitive scrappers, and rubbing an animals brains into the hide to produce a leather material. This process is known as brain tanning and is the primary way that the guides of Wolf Creek Indian Village tan donated hides. Guests will get a very in-depth presentation of different types of materials to tan hides, will be educated on all the different steps in the process, and even get a hands on experience with the chance to help scrape a prepared hide and feel a hide tanned using brains. School kids will also get a chance to learn how the Natives would have dressed and get an understanding of the differences in clothing from region to region and from different time periods in history. This house structure will be used in unison with Feature 53, the Smoke House Lodge.

10. Feature 44 – Young Women's Lodge Sponsorship: $15,000

This structure was a circle of 27 post molds with a diameter of 15 feet, making this the smallest house in the village. No hearth or other feature was found inside the house, and no external hearth was conveniently located adjacent to the house. There was a doorway to Feature 40 (Three sisters Lodge) and a doorway on the side of the Plaza.

In many studies of the American Indian there was a tradition in many tribes to separate the young unmarried women into separate sleeping quarters and also all women during their monthly moon time. It is with this in mind the staff of Wolf Creek will use this facility as a place to educate tourists to the women’s roles in Native Society. In this structure we will expound on the different tribal roles of women in traditional Native American society. Such as many tribes were Matriarchal in that the chief descended from the women's line not the male hierarchy. We also want to discuss the part women played in the survival of the group, incorporating the roles of hide tanner, gardener, gatherer, guardian of the small children, etc.

Wigwam Features

Several features located in the original Brown-Johnston are noticeably smaller in diameter and have far fewer support poles located around the exterior and interior portions of the dwellings. Several of these features were believed to be the housing structures of the first families assigned to clear the land for the future use of the primitive village. In those situations, these dwellings would not have been permanent structures, and would have been able to be built quickly. With the poles being spaced apart in the manner in which they were and due to the smaller diameter size of these structures, the staff of Wolf Creek Indian Village is going to erect (4) wigwam structures. Also, because there is no way of truly knowing what the original site looked like above ground, and because Wolf Creek wishes to represent all aspects of the Eastern Woodland Indian culture. This is being done by showing a variety of housing dwellings to help educate visitors in the differences in Native American customs.

The (4) wigwam house structures we are building or have in the process are as follows:

11. Feature 56 – Medicine Lodge Sponsorship: $15,000

We believe this structure is very special and may have been a sweat lodge. It was an oval pattern of 23 post molds, measuring 14.0' X 16.0' with the longer axis east to west. The structure overlapped part of house 38 and is probably younger. No hearth was found inside the house, but in its place was a shallow pit (Feature 28) with fired stones, (no charcoal). Also inside the house were two small storage pits, Features 26 & 30. A large hearth Feature 57, lay on the plaza side of the structure, about five feet away. In Native American culture their religious ceremonies are very vital fact of their lives.

This structure will be known as the Medicine Lodge and will be used by our guides to explain the differences among different tribes and cultures. It will also give a compare and contrast insight into the different religious belief systems among various Native American cultures. School children and tourists will be given examples of the resourcefulness of the American Indian and will give demonstrations on the medicinal use of available plants and herbs found locally in the Appalachian Mountains and used by many Eastern Woodland tribes. This structure will be used and maintained by local Boy Scout troops and will be a way for them to earn several merit badges, including shelter making, and gain an educational experience about the use of renewable resources and sustainability of the environment.

12. Feature 47 – Welcome Wigwam Sponsorship: $10,000

This was a complex structure, 9.0' X 10.0' made up of two complete circles with a common center. It was thought this was the earliest structure in the village, used by the first group of individuals assigned to clear the area before the whole group moved. It has a very small opening. The inside poles could have been benches and later it was used for storage. Several poles appear to have been replacement poles. In this structure we will widen the opening and use it as a welcome center.

It will be known as the Welcome Wigwam because it is the first structure that our visitors will pass through upon their arrival to the village. It is also the structure believed to be used by the first group of individuals that inhabited our site and thus “welcomed” the arrival of the tribe to their new home. School children and tourists will be educated on the history of the Brown-Johnston site, Mr. Howard MacCord’s archeology dig, and the museums existence from this structure. This structure will house various photos, information, and maps from the original site and dig. This structure will be used and maintained by local Boy Scout troops and will be a way for them to earn several merit badges, including shelter making, and gain an educational experience about the use of renewable resources and sustainability of the environment.

13. Feature 36 – Scout's Wigwam Sponsorship: $10,000

This was an oval, 8.0' X 7.8', made up of 17 small post molds The individual molds were two or three inches in diameter, extending into the clay subsoil only one or two inches. The feature was at the west end of the village, 3.5' inside the palisade and 4.0' from the southwest side of house Feature 37. No hearth or other feature is associated with this structure. Since the palisade line bowed outward around Feature 36, it is certain that the small structure was already in place before the palisade was built. Its proximity to house features 37 & 38 indicates that it was associated with the family that lived in these houses.

This structure is called the Scout’s Wigwam because the primary upkeep will be maintained by local Boy Scout troops. This is a traditional wigwam pattern. This structure will be used as a comparison/contrast of the different styles of housing the Eastern Woodland cultures used. It will be built of saplings and bark coverings in the traditional manner of wigwam construction. It is not as permanent as the round houses needing replacement materials and maintenance yearly. This structure will be used and maintained by local Boy Scout troops and will be a way for them to earn several merit badges, including shelter making, and gain an educational experience about the use of renewable resources and sustainability of the environment.

14. Feature 53 – Smoke House Lodge – Sponsorship: $10,000

This was a pear shaped structure 14.7' X 10.0' at the end of House Feature 52 (Tanner's Lodge) A well defined hearth, Feature 54 lay inside the structure, but too near a wall for the two to have been contemporary. It is likely the hearth predates both structure 53 and 52. Another small, fire redden area about one foot across in the center of this structure may be associated with it. The hearth did not show long-continued use and may have been purely incidental.

This structure is called Smoke House Lodge and will be used primarily for the smoking of hides for preservation. This structure will be used in association with Feature 53 (Tanner’s Lodge) for the explanation of the brain tanning techniques and for the preservation of meat. We are not sure what this structure was used for in the original village. While researching Native American customs, and determining the activities of a working living village, one of the necessary needs is for a smoke house for skins and the drying of meat etc. This structure will give students and tourists a lesson on the techniques required for these such purposes and they will learn the processes of using smoke as preservative. This structure will be used and maintained by local Boy Scout troops and will be a way for them to earn several merit badges and gain an educational experience about the use of renewable resources and sustainability of the environment.

15. Feature 58 -The Grainary- Sponsorship: $10,000

In the site report, the archeologist thought this feature might have been two different storage structures. We mapped out both and discovered it might just be one. It is constructed of 47 very close together post molds and measures 12.8' X 6.51'. The doorways of these two separate or together only measure 2.9'. We think it could have been interwoven with saplings and daubed with clay to create a critter proof food storage facility. No pits were found in this structure. In this structure we demonstrate the important skill of storage of food by drying and/or placing in containers with small openings such as clay seed jars etc. It is a very small door opening but even those in disability carts will be able to see inside because of its small size.

Gate House Features:

There was a pair of large structures found in the original site that were shown in association with the two main village entrances. These features were believed to have been used as a type of guardhouse or platform. These features add to the speculation that the Native tribe had a fear of a neighboring group of individuals. These features could be an indication as to why the Brown-Johnston site was not occupied for a longer period of time.

16. Feature 14 – The Warrior's Gate – Sponsorship: $30,000

This was a sub-rectangular structure measuring 14.0' X 20.0', with rounded corners. It lay just outside but attached to the palisade at the south entrance, next to Wolf Creek. Presumably, this was the main gate to the village. There were three distinct fire hearths inside. All three hearths show a sequence of use of the structure over a long period of time probably with almost continuous burning of fires on the same ground.

The floor feature was counter sunk into the subsoil about one-half a foot. The sides of the sunken floor sloped upward along the edges to meet the usual subsoil surface level at a depth of .9'. This gave the floor the general appearance of a saucer. The perimeter of the structure was outlined by 42 post molds set just inside the lip of the saucer and most (25) of the post molds sloped towards the center of the structure. A line of sever vertical post molds parallel to the north sidewall may be the location of bench or sleeping platforms. Ten large deep post molds 4 to the west and six to the east of the central were position inside. These posts were .7' to 1.0' in diameter and extended into the clay subsoil in excess of 1.5', it is certain that they were for thick and heavy long posts of a special structure. They were not the usual posts supports for a house, and their arrangement astride the hearth area (yet usually 2-3' from the fires) seems to point to something larger and heavier. Posts of this size could have extended into the air 15 to 20 feet and probably supported a platform at the top. It is thought to be a watchtower with it's own sleeping and eating quarters. A small bell shaped pit (Feature 10) lay at the village side of this feature.

It is suggested that mostly unmarried warriors could have manned this feature as an available defense. Thus we call this gate the Warrior's Gate. We are designing this as an observation tower for visitors by adding secure stairs to the top. Though it would be limited in how many visitors at a time could ascend to the platform, this structure will give a view up and down Wolf Creek as well as over the village fence.

17. Feature 41 – Young Warrior's Gate Sponsorship: $10,000

This was a second external structure on the north side of the village at the overlapping gate leading to the presumed garden areas in the bottomlands north of the village. The structure consisted of an irregular pattern of 50 post molds, with a roughly rectangular outline, 14' X 17' although the shape was not as clearly defined as was that of Feature 14. There were no large posts that would support a platform. Inside the pattern was a single hearth (Feature 41-A). It is thought this feature was a baffle type entrance in which visitors would weave through to enter and exit.

We named it the Young Warrior's Gate because young boys it is thought would sharpen their hunting skills by using hunting tools and traps to guard the gardens from game and predators. We will fill the display with various traps etc to explain other hunting techniques.

Miscellaneous Features

The guides will use these structures and features as different “task” areas during tours to demonstrate the daily living skills and lives of our nation’s first people. Our staff works in accordance with the Virginia Standards of Learning Tests (SOLS) and the West Virginia WES Test to ensure that we are providing the best possible educational opportunities for school groups and continue to research materials to become the standard for Native American history and skills for tourists visiting our facilities.

Burial Features:

During the original dig, (14) human skeletons were found in the village excavations. The burials were removed and are no longer on site. Due to the importance of recognition of these burials we are seeking sponsorship to place markers and signs explaining the original gravesites and their place in the village. The guides will use these features to educate on the differences of early Native American burial customs and will be used to educate all visitors of the importance of the preservation of historic and sacred sites.

18. Burials – Sponsorship $ 250 (each)

Sponsorship includes a marker for where the grave existed in the recreation. (There is hope of having the bones returned and placed in a secure cemetery on the original site at a future time.)

Burial 1 – This burial feature was that of an adolescent male. Thought to have been wrapped in a bundle perhaps with matting or an animal skin and tied. The head was to the north.

Burial 2 – This burial feature was that of an adult male, about 40 years of age tightly bundled with his head to the north. He was thought to have belonged to the feature 32 (Meeting House) or Feature 33 (Bead Woman Lodge).

Burial 3 – This burial feature was that of a child, about 2 years old, with his head to the north. Thought to be associated with feature 44 (Young Woman's Lodge).

Burial 4 – This burial feature was that of a two-year-old child with is head facing north. This individual was buried with marginalia beads and a small pendant found in the grave.

Burial 5 – This burial feature was that of a child, about 8 years old, the head was to the south and a large flat rock was directly place on the skull.

Burial 6 – This burial feature was that of an adult male, with his head towards the northeast. He was thought to be middle age. He was also thought to be decapitated before burial. Conch shell pieces were found in the grave with him.

Burial 7 – This burial feature was that of an adult male found buried tightly flexed with his head to the east. Sixty four marginalia shells beads were found in the dirt of the throat area and 178 small disc beads of shell were found on the right fore arm. Before he could be removed this grave was vandalized during the dig over night.

Burial 8 – This burial feature was that of an adult male, buried tightly flexed the head was to the southeast. A bone awl, made from the lower leg-bone of a turkey, was found at the right shoulder. He was buried in gravelly sand on top of which was found shells, bones, chips, pottery, and stone artifacts.

Burial 9 – This burial feature was that of an adult female buried flexed loosely. Six large stones had been placed directly on top of her. She was thought to have been associated with house feature 39 (Basket Weaver's Lodge).

Burial 10 – This burial feature was that of an adult female buried tightly flexed with her head to the east. Several large rocks had been placed over the body. Thought to have been associated with house feature 37 (Toolmaker’s Lodge).

Burial 11 – This burial feature was so badly decayed and so fragmentary that data as to age, sex and placement could not be determined. This pit was so wet that it is probable that almost continuous submersion had decayed the bones.

Burial 12 – This burial feature was that of a young adult female. She had been buried tightly flexed with her head to the northwest with gravelly sand covering her. Seven perforated shell ornaments were found with the bones, one on each humerus, one on each leg at the ankle, and three around her head. It is thought she belonged to feature 34 (Grandmother Spider's Lodge Pottery)

Burial 13 – This burial feature was that of a small male child, buried loosely flexed. The head was to the northeast. Covered with flat rocks and it's thought the grave had been lined in bark. Numerous ornaments were found. 16 beads made from turkey wing bone and one made from a turkey radius-ulna; at the neck shoulder area – 26 beads made from the turkey wing bone and three made from the radius-ulna; on the pelvis – 47 beads made from the turkey wing bone; on pelvis (and under a flat rock) – shell gorget; at chin and neck region – 2 long tubular shell beads and six other shell beads. It is thought this boy belonged to nearby house feature 33 (Bead Woman Lodge)

Burial 14 – This burial feature was that of a young adult female, buried loosely flexed at a depth of 1.9' at the base of feature 69. The head was to the northwest. A large rock covered the head and had crushed it flat. In the neck and shoulder regions were 1330 shell beads, which some may have been embroidered on a mantle. This burial was near burials 1 and 2 adjacent to house Feature 32 (the meeting lodge) Feature 69- Archeologists in 1970 attributed these graves to being in a trash pit. But consulting with Native American scholars it is believe items found in these pits are actually grave items. Feature 69 was an oval pit, 3.3' X 2.8' with a maximum depth of 1.9' below the original surface. The pit had nearly straight sides and a flat base. The pit fill was dark humas, plus the stones that covered the burial. Village midden (i.e. trash to the archeologist) was limited to the following, deer bone- 1 (according to notes it was a deer bone awl, that is something a woman would used as a tool) utilized chert chips -4 (one was a scrapper these are also tools of a woman) clay pipe fragment – According to some native traditions a person's pipe is broken or buried with them. Limestone tempered potsherds – 6, sometimes a special pot or ceremonial container may be buried with them. She is thought to be associated with Feature 33, which we named the Bead Woman Lodge.

19. Archeological Site/Dig Project - Sponsorship: $1000 *annually

This project will be a new feature to Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum beginning in the spring 2011. During the archeological dig of 1970, Howard MacCord had the top 6” of soil taken off of the site and piled in the surrounding areas. These soil mounds are now parallel to the living museum of Wolf Creek Indian Village. These mounds will be opened up to visitors to sift through the soils of time and help to tell the story of the Brown-Johnston site. This will provide individuals a very unique learning experience on the steps taken when on an archeology site and will allow everyone to become an archeologist for the day. This sponsorship supports the current archeological excavation of the soil never sifted from the original site and provides artifacts from the original site to be examined and documented, thus continuing the story of the First People of America.

Your sponsorship will allow us to purchase sifting boxes, stands, shovels, produce a brochure (with your name as a sponsor on it) about the dig with information on contacting Archeological Societies nationwide, and hire a guide to teach how to perform the tasks needed for the search for artifacts. Visitors will not be able to take any artifacts from the site but instead the artifact will be named for them and cataloged for a display in the museum. Includes sign of sponsorship.

20. Calendar Posts – Sponsorship $500 *annually

The center posts uses are not exactly known. It could be ceremonial or used as game posts. We have them set as an equinox calendar telling the spring and fall equinox. The large post shadow lines up with the smaller post in an exact line on the spring or fall equinox. We use this to expound upon the Native American systems of the passage of time or a calendar.

21. Palisade Posts – Sponsorship $100 (each) annually

There was an irregular circle 130' X 140' across, composed of 229 post molds, enclosing all the houses and most of the pit features. The posts were spaced about a foot apart and about 4 inches thick. They were set vertically in holes about 15 inches deep and thought to extend eight to ten feet in the air. It is thought the gaps were interwoven with brush, saplings and vines and would have looked like a large wicker basket surrounding the village. It would have prevented an undetected enemy from easily reaching the houses. It is also believe to be used to keep certain animals out (such as wolves) and the young children in.

22. Medicine Wheel - Sponsorship $100 Annually

The medicine wheel resides in the plaza of the main museum building. It represents to many Native American cultures the circle of life, the four cardinal directions, the four colors of man and ever ending circle of the creator

Trail Sponsorship of Wolf Creek’s (8) separate trails – Sponsorship annually $500 each

Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum is nestled in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains and is surrounded by beautiful views year round. There are several trails that lead to different areas of the Wolf Creek property, allowing visitors the opportunity to witness an assorted array of flora and fauna, local hardwood and softwood tree species, various large and small species of mountain wildlife. Several trails also crisscross through a native wetland and run parallel to Wolf Creek. We are seeking partners to help us maintain and enhance all of these trails to be enjoyed by all who visit Wolf Creek. Recognition signs will be posted on entrances.

23. Mountain Laurel Trail – This is the top trail around the museum’s parking lot, and Nancy Tate Picnic shelter. It is used by visitors to stretch legs from a long day of traveling. We are known for having this trail, which allows visitors to take a walk in a natural environment during their journey on Interstate 77.

24. Journey Path to the Past Trail -- This trail leads from the museum to bridge for visitors to begin their journey to our Native American village of the past. This trail gives a bird’s eye view of the wetland bottom, full of a variety of wildlife, and, in early spring and late fall, a ghostly glimpse of the re-created Native American Indian Village that looms in the distance.

25. Land of Prehistory Bridge - The Bridge at Wolf Creek is the area in which our visitors “cross over” from present and walk into the past. As one walks our trail down the hill, they will have a sense of walking down the paths of time and are presented with a wooden bridge that allows them to meander over a typical Appalachian wetland. Visitors are presented with the first sightings of our local skunk cabbage, while being accompanied by songbirds in the nearby bushes. The bridge is the gateway into the village and is the meeting point of all bottom trails. On the visitors’ way back to civilization, the bridge is the final point before they make the “climb” back into the present!

26. Betty Asbury Trail—This trail leads from the Land of Pre-history Bridge to Young Warrior's Gate exit. Named in memoriam of Betty Asbury who volunteered laboring for years placing natural plants on this trail that would have been here at the time the First People would have lived in the village.

27. Brown-Johnston Trail – This is the long entrance trial that leads to corner of property down to Wolf Creek. It is a long journey from 1970 to now. This trail meanders to represent that journey through time.

28. Warrior's Path – This is the main trail from bridge to entrance of village ending at the Warrior's Gate House. During the time of the original village, all trails leading to the site would have passed through the gate house structures, acting as a welcomed sign for the warriors or hunters at the end of a long journey home. To the visitors of our village, this trail will act as the path to the 16^th Appalachian culture of a small band of Native Americans.

29. Beaver's Path- This trial ventures to Wolf Creek from Village at Warrior's gate. Named for the beavers we occasionally have visit our creek and swamps that cut the trees down in that area. This trail has two benches that allow visitors to take a relaxing break in the shade with the gentle sounds of Wolf Creek drifting by.

30. Howard MacCord Trail –This trail leads to the current ongoing archeological excavations of the dirt that was removed from the site and not sifted in 1970. Upon exiting the archeological dig, this trail will lead around the outside of the palisade wall and connect to the Betty Asbury Trail, leaving tourists a lasting memory of excitement as they begin their journey back to the present. This trail is named in honor of Howard MacCord, the state archeologist who excavated the site in 1970. It is his notes, reports that we are using to recreate the Indian village that once existed here. Without the basis of his work we would not have the knowledge we have to persue the history of the Brown Johnston site. We owe him a debt of gratitude for his work and friendship to the museum during his lifetime.

31. Nancy Tate Picnic Shelter- Sponsorship $1,000 annually

Mrs. Nancy Tate has always been a true believer and friend to Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum. Her countless donations of time and supplies have always helped our staff provide our first class accommodations. She provided the support for our beautiful picnic shelter and is a true friend.

For your sponsorship of the Nancy Tate Picnic Shelter, you will provide Wolf Creek the ability to provide school aged children their favorite place to lunch. Also, tourists from all over the world enjoy the wonderful shade, bountiful picnic tables, and lovely Appalachian laurel trees that surround our facility

Wolf Creek Gardens

Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum is surrounded by one of our nation’s most beautiful natural arenas. Located in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, Wolf Creek Indian Village has all the natural beauty that any visitor will not soon forget. What better way to leave an everlasting impression than to compensate our natural beauty with the addition of majestic flower and herbal gardens?

There are (6) main gardens located on the property of our museum, with room for several additional gardens to be planted at a later date. Many of our gardens are overseen by the Master Gardeners Club and are used to help educate school children and tourists alike about the different medicinal, ceremonial, and sustenance uses of wild and cultivated plants.

32. Foli's Flower Gardens- Sponsorship $100 annually

This beautiful garden area is named in honor of Foli Taylor, who planted the original gardens at the entrance of the building with columbine, tiger lily’s, and daffodils. This is a wonderful asset to Wolf Creek and provides tourists with a warm welcome as they begin their journey into our facilities and museums.

33. 3 Sisters Gardens (2) Sponsorship: $100 each annually

These are the gardens that will be located on the outside of the village, and are to be planted with the 3 sisters of Beans, Corn and Squash to demonstrate the agricultural methods used by the first people in our area. In the archeological excavations, kernels of corn were found which indicate that this village would have had large areas of cultivated garden. I there was found kernels of corn. This indicates that the people from the original site did have an estimated 13 acres under agricultural cultivation that would have supported the estimated 100 individuals in the tribe. These gardens will be used to demonstrate the methods used by Native Americans in the cultivation of their gardens. The placement of the 3 Sisters Gardens will be along the sides of the Warrior’s Path Trail towards the main entrance to the living museum.

34. Prayer Pipe Garden (Tobacco Garden) – Sponsorship: $100 annually

This garden is planted with the oldest tobacco seed plants we can find. The guides of Wolf Creek shall use this area to educate visitors about the earliest strands of tobacco and the native ceremonial uses as well as its development as a cash crop for the earliest European settlers.

35. Main Driveway Entrance Gardens (2) Sponsorship: $100 (each) annually

The Master Gardener’s Club maintains this garden. Every year materials such as mulch and plants are needed for up keep of these gardens. These gardens are the first impression of Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum and are a welcomed site for the tourists seeking a natural, hands-on experience with all that nature has to offer.

Wolf Creek Signs

Built in 1970, Interstate 77 brings 28,000 individuals through the heart of Bland County daily. Each one of these individuals carries the potential of building the product of Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum, Bland County, and Virginia. Through the advertisement of the facilities at Wolf Creek, the potential to economically build the surrounding Bastian community and tourism increases dramatically. With sponsorship of the (5) major signs for Wolf Creek Indian Village, you will be allowing the product and reputation of our museum to grow and will help with the continual growth of Bland County. **See One-Time Sponsorships for Entrance Sign details**

36. Signs on Highway – Sponsorship: $1000 (each) annually

Located on the North and Southbound lanes of Interstate 77, these signs will help guide motorists toward their Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum destinations. The signage along a major travel route will be a key implement used in allowing countless individuals to locate our facilities. As Wolf Creek Indian Village grows, it will allow the surrounding Bastian community to also prosper due to higher tourism movement. With your sponsorship of our entrance sign, a plaque will be placed in recognition of your generous donation.

37. Signs on Route 52 (North Scenic Highway) – Sponsorship: $500 (each) annually

Located on the North and Southbound lanes of Route 52, these signs will help guide motorists toward their Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum destinations. These signs will be located roughly ½ mile from the entrance to our facilities. With your sponsorship of our entrance sign, a plaque will be placed in recognition of your generous donation.

One-time Sponsorships

There are many opportunities at Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum for individuals to become a one-time sponsor of our facilities. These donations will go toward funding the overall running and maintenance of Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum along with providing the means necessary for the building of display for both museums. The funds generated through these donations are an important part of allowing the story of the Native American to be told by the facility and staff of Wolf Creek.

**38. Entrance Sign – Sponsorship: $2000

Located at the top of the driveway, the entrance sign is our guest’s welcoming to Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum. Surrounded by beautiful gardens planted by the Master Gardener’s Club, this sign will be used to attract the weary traveler to first class facilities for a fun, educational, and memorable experience. With your sponsorship of our entrance sign, a plaque will be placed in recognition of your generous donation.

39. In Memoriam/Honor Trail Benches One time sponsorship $500 (each)

Sometimes while on a long journey, one needs to take a break and listen to the world around them. That is the reason for the benches along the trails of Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum. There are (7) benches nestled along the multiple trails, with plans to resurrect several more. These benches allow tourists to enjoy the natural beauty of the Appalachian Mountains that surrounds them. While relaxing on one of them Wolf Creek Benches, one’s mind is allowed to wonder, enjoying natures beauty and will soon find themselves drifting through the story of the Brown-Johnston site. Keep a loved one’s memory alive with a bronze plaque with the name of recipient with your one-time donation.

40. In Memoriam/honor Cases- Sponsorships: $250 one-time (each)

Honor a loved one by placing their name on a case in the museum. Cases throughout the conventional museum are used to exhibit displays and artifacts from all locals and different cultures. These display cases will be used as an important educational tool that shows the variety of tools and relics that were used by Native Americans throughout history. We will place a brass nameplate on the front of a case with the recipients name for all to see and also remember.

41. Fountain/Wishing Well - Sponsorship: $100 one-time

This well is to be rebuilt in the spring of 2011. The Wishing Well is a favorite of many school children and tourists alike, wanting that one wish to come true. We should call it the wedding well. We had a couple that wished for each other at the well on their first date, which later resulted in a marriage proposal at the museum. Sometimes, wishes do come true!

42. “Wright Rock” - Sponsorship: $100 one-time

This rock is named for the family of Maxwell Wright who donated it to the museum. This rock found in our area is four pieces carved that looks like a large eye. This piece is highly unusual, and though several attempts have been made, this stone’s use has never been identified. We want to create a special display for this very unusual precious find.

Thank you for your interest in Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum. Your contributions in any amount will help our staff continue to provide the very best educational experience to countless school children, tourists, and history enthusiasts from around the world. Your donations will go to providing supplies and support for the rebuilding of our village, cases for artifact museum, benches along trails, picnic tables for shelter, gift shop supplies, educational programs for both museums and funding for overall up-keep of facilities. There are many volunteer opportunities for individuals wishing to help in the growth of Wolf Creek. We also have a wish list of items needed to maintain the museum. If you have any questions regarding any of the information listed above, how to provide donations, or how to become a volunteer, please feel free to contact Sam Wright or Denise Smith at Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum at 276-688-3438.

Volunteer Info

Wolf Creek Indian Village and museum would like to thank our numerous volunteers. It is with the help of their contributions that our museum has been able to operate throughout these times of economical hardships. If you would like to become a volunteer and help us in our reconstruction project, we would love to hear from you. We are in need of volunteers to help with village and display construction and upkeep, artifact museum upkeep, and gift shop upkeep. Any consideration of volunteer time would be greatly appreciated and the staff of Wolf Creek looks forward to your visit. To schedule a time for volunteering your time, please contact Jo Phillips at Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum, 276-688-3438. To see items that can be donated, see list below.

Donation List

To provide the very best experience possible, Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum needs your help. Items that can be donated to ensure that our staff can provide a fun, safe, and educational experience to its costumers are as follows:

Volunteer hours.

Funds to provide extra uniforms for employees, tools, and appreciation dinners.

Bags of Play Sand for Archeology Mystery Bags to be sold in gift shop during school groups.

Animal hides.

Assorted fossils.

Flint, Chert, Jasper stones for the demonstration of stone tool making.

Display cases for artifact museum and gift shop.

Gravel for parking lots.

Mulch for trails and gardens.

Office printer paper.

Printer ink.

Cattail reeds, large tree bark sheets, etc. used for living museum displays.

Deer Antlers and bones for displays.

Large water cooler.

¼” screens for archeology dig project.

3”-4” x 10’ green saplings.

Computer.

Food for special events.

Hardware (screws, bolts, saw blades, etc.) for new structure construction.

Multicolored glass chips for medicine wheel.

Weed killer.

Water repellent.

Large lock cabinet for artifact storage.

Salt for sidewalks.

Sink.

Window cleaner.

Carpet shampooing vacuum.

Flood lights for gift shop and artifact museum overhead lights.

Furnace filters.

Paper towels.

Cleaner for bathrooms.

First aid kits.

Contact: Sam Wright, General Manager or Denise Smith Museum Programs Coordinator at 276-688-3438

To send a donation in any amount in honor or as a memorial or just because you care about the work of the museum.

Send a Note and Make Checks out to: County of Bland, notation for Wolf Creek Indian Village & Museum. Donations are tax deductible.

Wampum Belt of Friendship & Peace between the Tuscarora Nation and Wolf Creek Indian Village & Museum