Virginia Indians
Archaeological evidence shows that people have been living in what is now Virginia as far back as 16-22,000 years ago. Virginia’s modern day tribes were firmly established in ancestral lands long before the English arrived to settle at Jamestown. These tribes contributed significantly to the newcomers’ ability to survive those first few years upon their arrival to present-day Virginia. Over the four hundred years since the first permanent English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia’s native people have contributed greatly to the vitality of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the nation, and continue to do so.
Virginia State Recognized Tribes
| Tribe | Year Recognized | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Mattaponi | 17th century | Banks of the Mattaponi River, King William Co. |
| Pamunkey | 17th century | Banks of the Pamunkey River, King William Co. |
| Chickahominy | 1983 | Charles City County |
| Eastern Chickahominy | 1983 | New Kent County |
| Rappahannock | 1983 | Indian Neck, King & Queen County |
| Upper Mattaponi | 1983 | King William County |
| Nansemond | 1985 | Cities of Suffolk and Chesapeake |
| Monacan Indian Nation | 1989 | Bear Mountain, Amherst County |
| Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) | 2010 | Courtland, Southampton County |
| Nottoway of Virginia | 2010 | Capron, Southampton County |
| Patawomeck | 2010 | Stafford County |
Over the centuries, the relationship of Virginia’s Indian population and the Commonwealth has varied greatly. In 1982 the Virginia General Assembly began a process to study and identify tribal groups that would be formally recognized by the Commonwealth in carrying out its governmental mission. This process was handled largely through the Virginia Council on Indians, a formal body established to advise the General Assembly and the Governor or the General Assembly itself. In 2012, at the request of a majority of the tribal leaders, Governor McDonnell proposed, and the General Assembly agreed, to eliminate the Council and create a new mechanism of communication for the chiefs of Virginia’s State Recognized tribes. In 2014, the General Assembly passed HB903 directing the Secretary of the Commonwealth to serve as the Governor’s liaison to the Virginia Indian Tribes.
Virginia Indians Links
Additional Resources
- Library of Virginia
- Virginia Department of Historic Resources
- Virginia Indian Heritage Program
- Virginia Indian Heritage Trail Guide Online
- Virginia Department of Education Teacher Resources on Virginia Indians
- Virginia’s American Indian Historic Highway Markers
- Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian
- Bureau of Indian Affairs, United States Department of The Interior
- American Indian Environmental Office, United States Environmental Protection Agency
- American Indian Studies at Virginia Tech