Mythologies of the Chickahominy Tribe
The Chickahominy tribe is a state- and federally recognized Indian tribe located on 110 acres in Charles City County, midway between Richmond and Williamsburg. Early in the twenty-first century its population numbered about 875 people living within a five-mile radius of the tribal center, with several hundred more residing in other parts of the United States. In 1607, when English colonists established the settlement at Jamestown, the Chickahominy Indians lived in towns and villages along the Chickahominy River, from the fall line of the river to its mouth. They spoke a dialect of Algonquian and practiced a culture similar to the other Algonquian-speaking Indians of Tsenacomoco, a paramount chiefdom ruled in 1607 by Powhatan. Although they lived in the heart of Tsenacomoco, the Chickahominy did not send a representative to the alliance’s council until around the year 1616. And rather than be ruled by a single weroance , or chief, they governed themselves through a council of elders.
The Chickahominy are a federally recognized tribe of Virginian Native Americans who primarily live in Charles City County, located along the James River midway between Richmond and Williamsburg in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This area of the Tidewater is not far from where they were living in 1600, before the arrival of colonists from England. They were officially recognized by the state in 1983 and by the federal government in January 2018. The Eastern Chickahominy split from the main tribe in 1983 and were recognized as a separate tribe by the state that year, and by the federal government in January 2018. They are based in New Kent County, about 25 miles (40 km) east of Richmond. Neither tribe has an Indian reservation, having been displaced from their land by colonial settlement in the 17th century, but they have purchased lands that they devote to communal purposes. Both tribes are among the 11 who have organized and been officially recognized by Virginia since 1983. Federal status was granted to the Chickahominy and Eastern Chickahominy tribes through passage of the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2017 on January 30, 2018.
Chickahominy Tribe celebrates acquisition of ancestral land in Charles City
Four centuries after English colonists began systematically displacing Virginia’s indigenous people, the Chickahominy Tribe is reconnecting with the land of their ancestors thanks to the acquisition of 105 acres along the James River. “In 1646, tribal land was taken from the ancestors of the Chickahominy Tribe, in present day Charles City County, not far from this site,” said Chief Adkins. “Now, more than 370 years later, the Commonwealth is returning land to the tribe. Within tribal culture, waterways are especially significant as they provide sustenance, recreation and travel/trade routes. This location allows us to celebrate, preserve, and share our culture and traditions with current and future generations.” The site was purchased with the assistance of a $3.18 million grant from the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation (VLCF). The Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF), which holds an easement on the property, assisted the tribe with the grant application. The land, upriver from Jamestown Island, will be protected from development and will create a location to showcase the culture, history, and traditions of the Chickahominy Tribe.
The Chickahominy Tribe Eastern Division is a state- and federally recognized Indian tribe located about twenty-five miles east of Richmond in New Kent County. Early in the twenty-first century its population numbered about 132 people, with 67 of those living in Virginia and the rest residing in other parts of the United States. The Eastern Chickahominy share an early history with the Chickahominy Indians, who, despite their similar language and culture, lived independently of the Algonquian-speaking Indians of Tsenacomoco. In 1614, following the First Anglo-Powhatan War (1609–1614), they become tributary allies of the Virginia colonists, and in 1646, following the Third Anglo-Powhatan War (1644–1646), joined other Virginia Indians living in the Pamunkey Neck area of present-day King William County. By 1820, families with present-day Chickahominy surnames had begun to settle in Charles City County. In 1870, a state census reported a group of Indians living in New Kent County; these are likely the ancestors of the present-day Eastern Chickahominy Indians.
The Chickahominy tribe were the original inhabitants of Virginia but were forced off their land by the settlers. Even when they were later given land to occupy they were then forced off of that too due to the whites needing more land. They moved further south and managed to settle, and even though their lives were dramatically altered by the settlers and they were treated unfairly, they remain a gracious tribe who now welcome all to learn about their history and take part in their pow wows.
An unassuming sign along Route 60 and a tribal center on a humble plot of land largely obscured by trees are all that indicate the home of one of this nation’s most historic Indian tribes. The Eastern Chickahominy tribe is distinct from the no-adjective Chickahominy tribe because of cultural disagreements dating back more than a century. But the two tribes are no different in one important aspect: According to the federal government, neither exists. Sometimes the most powerful reminders of America’s continuing efforts to become“a more perfect union” involve no visible plight or cinematic struggles. If you drive down the road in New Kent County, to the area the Eastern Chickahominy tribe calls home, it’s difficult to see much of anything at all.
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