(This particular version of the Natahwop was preserved by Jim Warren of Roanoke, who served as director of Camp Powhatan in the early 80s. Being easy to lose, and easy to recreate, this is the only one to survive.)
What is a “Natahwop,” you ask?
If you went to Camp Powhatan in the 60s, 70s and 80s, then you may remember the notorious Natahwop (or “Powhatan” spelled backwards). It was a small, carved totem as shown here – no more than two inches in length.
Scoutmaster Bob Dewindt came up with this simple game where scoutmasters passed the Natahwop from pocket to pocket, without the recipient being aware. Each day at lunch, the leaders were asked to search their pockets. The one who found it was responsible for leading the troops in a spirited song or a story of their choosing.
…It is in this spirit of narrative and curiosity that the online journal of the Roanoke Scouting History Project is called “The Natahwop.”