Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 9, 1991 TAG: 9104090571
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B7 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: DAVID REED ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The tribes are enjoying the same revival in Indian culture that has spread across the country, and the growth will continue, said William Hill, an expert on inter-governmental relations at Roanoke College.
"There is a growing interest in the Eastern tribes," he said.
Hill studied the history of Indians in Virginia and how they've been governed since the battles with settlers ended in the late 1600s and treaties were established.
"They present a unique combination of Virginia and Indian political values," Hill said.
Much of Virginia's original Indian population was dispersed, killed or died of disease and deprivation. Approximately 2,500 descendants survive and are organized into eight tribes recognized by the state, Hill wrote in an article for the University of Virginia's Center for Public Service.
The total Native American population in Virginia increased from 9,867 in 1980 to 15,282 in 1990.
About 150 members of the Pamunkey and Mattaponi tribes live on reservations in King William County.
The other six Virginia tribes formally organized as non-profit corporations are:
The Chickahominy, with 1,000 members living along the Chickahominy River in Charles City County near Providence Forge;
The eastern Chickahominy, with 150 members in New Kent County near Windsor Shades;
The Monacan, with as many as 750 members at Bear Mountain in Amherst County;
The Nansemond, with 300 members in the Tidewater region;
The United Rappahannock, with 750 members primarily living between the Mattaponi and Rappahannock rivers;
The Upper Mattaponi, with 200 members living mainly in northwestern King William County.
The General Assembly formed the Virginia Council of Indians in 1983 to promote awareness of Indian culture and history, to help Indians obtain assistance from the government and to bring tribes together to work on common goals.
Gov. Douglas Wilder sought to eliminate the council, saying its functions could be continued through existing agencies and an advisory committee.
The General Assembly agreed to eliminate the funding but allowed the council to continue to exist as an advisory body.
Hill said the council has helped tribal groups grow closer. While it's uncertain whether it will survive, "too many leaders are acquainted with each other now for the momentum to stop," he said.
The disappearance of the council may increase the importance of the United Indians of Virginia, a separate group that includes the chiefs or other representatives from all of the tribes except the Mattaponi, Hill said.
With reduced state assistance to Indians, Virginia tribes may seek federal recognition, Hill said.
The Pamunkey and Mattaponi are already considering the move.
"They are looking for the dignity and respect that comes with official recognition, that they are cultures of importance," Hill said. "The federal government is under some pressure to show concern for Eastern tribes and might welcome application from two such clearly qualified tribes."
But he said the state may be unwilling to surrender its guardian relationship with the tribes to the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.
by CNB