Chief Kevin Brown of the Pamunkey Tribe, center, is blessed with an honor song during the New Day Now rally at the U.S. Capitol on June 16, 2015. Photo by Indianz.Com
Virginia newspaper congratulates the Pamunkey Tribe for winning federal recognition through the Bureau of Indian Affairs and calls for other tribes in the state to receive justice:
Despite their long and particularly well-documented history, however, recognition for the Pamunkeys — whose reservation can be traced back to agreements with the British in the 17th century — was more than just a battle against casino moguls. It was a battle against Virginia’s institutional white supremacy designed to erase the very existence of Native Americans. Walter Plecker used his dominion over the Bureau of Vital Statistics in the first half of the 20th century to establish a binary racial classification for newborn Virginians: White or colored. Native Americans, Plecker claimed, no longer existed. Recognition for the Pamunkeys, in addition to being the right thing to do, represents another repudiation of Plecker’s bestial racism, and the Virginia government’s. More must be done. “This historic milestone,” Sen. Mark Warner said in a statement, “also reminds us of the work that remains before us to correct the injustices committed against Virginia Indian tribes. Sen. [Tim] Kaine and I will keep urging our colleagues in the Senate to pass our legislation to ensure that the Chickahominy Indian Tribe, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe-Eastern Division, the Upper Mattaponi Tribe, the Rappahannock Tribe, the Monacan Indian Nation, and the Nansemond Indian Tribe also get the federal recognition that they deserve.” Each of those tribes has an indisputable claim on the American story and this nation’s history. Each has a right to the federal recognition that acknowledges that.Get the Story:
Editorial: Overdue recognition for the Pamunkey (The Virginian-Pilot 7/10) Relevant Documents:
Letter to Chief Brown | Notice of Final Determination Federal Register Notices:
Final Determination for Federal Acknowledgment of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe (July 8, 2015)
Proposed Finding for Federal Acknowledgment of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe (January 23, 2014)
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