Sovereign Nations of Virginia host annual conference

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Rappahannock Tribe: Sovereign Nations of Virginia Conference – 2023

Monday, September 16, 2024

Indianz.Com

Tribes in Virginia continue to build relationships with key partners with a conference taking place this week.

The theme of this year’s Sovereign Nations of Virginia Conference is “Pathways to Partnership: Enhancing Trust through Tribal Consultation.” Leaders from Virginia’s seven federally-recognized tribes will discuss how tribal consultation impacts sacred sites, higher education and cultural resources at the event on Thursday.

Presenters include representatives of the United South and Eastern Tribes, the National Park Service and The Wilderness Society. The agenda follows:

8:00 am – Registration at Henrico Ballroom
Snacks and beverages available in Henrico Ballroom Lobby

9:00 am – Welcome
Melissa Ehrenreich, Executive Director
Indigenous Conservation Council of the Chesapeake Bay

Prayer
Chief Frank Adams
Upper Mattaponi Tribe

Drum Song
Maskapow Drum Group
Rappahannock Tribe

Opening Remarks and Introduction of Chiefs
Chief Anne Richardson
Rappahannock Tribe

9:15 am – Tribal Consultation as a Diplomatic Tool
Kitcki Carroll, Executive Director
United South and Eastern Tribes, Sovereignty Protection Fund
Liz Malerba, Policy & Legislative Affairs Director, USET SPF
Katie Klass, General Council, USET SPF

10:15 am – Distinguishing Tribal Consultation from Tribal Engagement
Starlyn Miller, Native Lands Partnership Director
The Wilderness Society

10:45 am – Tribal Panel: How Tribal Consultations Affect Sacred Sites
Starlyn Miller, Moderator
Brandon G. Thundercloud Custalow, MBA, Tribal Council Member
Mattaponi Indian Tribe
Todd Custalow, Tribal Council Member
Mattaponi Indian Tribe
Rufus Elliott, Tribal Council Member
Monacan Indian Nation

12:00 pm – Tribal Consultation and Higher Education
Dr. Sam Cook
Virginia Indigenous Nations in Higher Education Collective
Gerri Wade
Rappahannock Tribe
Lenora Adkins
Chickahominy Tribe

12:30 pm – Lunch in the Glen Restaurant

2:00 pm – Special Presentation
Chief Anne Richardson
Rappahannock Tribe

2:30 pm – Tribal Consultation on Cultural Resources
Dr. Julia King, Professor of Archeology
St. Mary’s College of Maryland

3:30 pm – Rethinking the Approach to Tribal Consultation
Eric Chiasson, Tribal Liaison & Native Affairs Officer Northeast Region
National Park Service

4:30 pm – Closing Remarks
Chief Anne Richardson
Rappahannock Tribe

4:45 pm – Conference Adjourns

Chief Anne Richardson of the Rappahannock Tribe speaks at the Sovereign Nations of Virginia Conference on September 14, 2023. Still image from youtu.be/R4NhKY5keIM

In-person attendance at the Virginia Crossings Hotel and Conference Center in Glen Allen has reached capacity. Interested participants can register and join the event virtually.

The event is hosted and organized by the Rappahannock Tribe. The Rappahannock gained federal recognition through an act of Congress in 2017, along with the Chickahominy Tribe, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe – Eastern Division, the Monacan Nation, the Nansemond Nation and the Upper Mattaponi Tribe.

Also participating in the Sovereign Nations of Virginia Conference is the Pamunkey Tribe, whose federal status was acknowledged through the federal acknowledgment process at the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Video from prior Sovereign Nations of Virginia gatherings can be found on youtube.com/@rappahannocktribe.