Dasamongueponke

The Dasamongueponke (or Dasamonguepeuk) is the name given to a Native American tribe of Secotan people and also the name of a village encountered by the English during their late 16th century attempts to settle and establish permanent colonies in what is now North Carolina, known at the time as Virginia.

[2] White quickly made contact with friendly natives led by Chief Manteo, who explained to him that the lost fifteen had been killed by hostile Secotan, Aquascogoc and Dasamongueponke warriors,[3] choosing a time and place of attack "of great advantage to the savages".

White and his soldiers entered the Dasamongueponke village in the morning "so early that it was yet dark",[5] but mistakenly attacked a group of hitherto friendly Indians, killing one and wounding many.

Much of what is known about the lives of the Dasamongueponke and other Algonkin tribes in 16th century North Carolina survives thanks to the watercolor paintings and the journal kept by Governor John White who was commissioned in 1585 to "draw to life" the inhabitants of the New World and their surroundings.

These works are significant as they are the most informative illustrations of a Native American society of the Eastern seaboard, and predate the first body of "discovery voyage art" created in the late 18th century by the artists who sailed with Captain James Cook.