Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia; General Assembly to extend state recognition. (HJ559)

Introduced By

Del. Delores McQuinn (D-Richmond) with support from co-patrons Del. Kaye Kory (D-Falls Church), Del. Michelle Maldonado (D-Manassas), and Del. Sam Rasoul (D-Roanoke)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate

Description

Recognition of the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia. Extends state recognition to the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia within the Commonwealth. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
01/17/2023Committee
01/17/2023Presented and ordered printed 23104565D
01/17/2023Referred to Committee on Rules
02/07/2023Left in Rules

Comments

Debwewin writes:

Virginia’s state recognition process is intended to acknowledge Native American tribes that
preceded European colonization, the “Walter Plecker era” of cultural genocide, was and continues
to be a horrific travesty in erasing tribal identity for those who seek recognition from the state, for
those who seek acknowledgment of “native American identity”, the only ethnic group who have
to prove heredity though a bureaucratic process and who are required to show a “tribal
identification badge” to be recognized as a “native American”, as you are aware there are few
benefits from state recognition beyond the official acknowledgement, however gaining official
state recognition status does not hold the same meaning from a native American perspective, what
it means to native American way of life is respect, is we are all connected, we walk the “good red
road” of our ancestor’s in honoring all things living, we stand proud as indigenous people, not
from a place of ego, rather a place of humility, honoring our ancestors who were discriminated
against, who were oppressed, who were stripped of their identify, of their culture, of their right to
stand proud as “first nation’s people”, and yet we still stand, we fight daily for our existence, we
fight for the next 7 generations, holding on to our traditions to ensure we do not become extinct,
we fight for our right to be recognized as indigenous people, to carry on our traditions and
teachings that have been passed down by our ancestors who have walked before us, to be
acknowledged by State officials acting in the “best interest of tribal communities”, history repeats
its self, for the tribe’s seeking state recognition, our future is held in the hands of ever-changing
legislation, when the General Assembly was abolished, it left tribes seeking state recognition in
the gallows, waiting for a new process to be enacted.

For Tribes seeking recognition from the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia the new
legislative process championed by the Indian Advisory Board threatens the very existence of
indigenous people, the legacy of old law, and the adoption of new legislation is a perpetual
nightmare of cultural genocide, the “Walter Plecker era” continues today, the very laws that caused
eradication of identity has the volatile potential of continuing today through the creation of
Advisory Boards who lack professional integrity, who come to the table with individual agenda,
who have forgotten the role in which they were appointed by the Secretary of the Commonwealth
of Virginia, I also realize they are a Board who’s role is to make recommendations to the Secretary
based upon factual documentation, upon the determination of the Secretary of the Commonwealth
of Virginia, because ultimately the State has the final ruling,
In closing, I leave you to reflect upon the truth and wisdom of this letter, as indigenous people near
extinction, we wait in indeterminate state... regardless the outcome the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe
of Virginia know who we are as indigenous people, we will never stop fighting for our inherent
right to be recognized as native Americans, a birthright given by our Creator

Chief Wslt Red Hawk Brown writes:

Based on their Virginia Connected etonohistory, strongly recommend my Iroquioan Brothers of the Wolf Creek Cherokee tribe be sactioned as a VA State Recognized Tribe.

Respectfully,

Chief Walt Red Hawk Brown
Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indian Tribe
Southampton County VA
Cattashowrock Town
27345 Aquia Path
Courtland, VA 23837
www.cheroenhaka-nottoway.org
[email protected]
757-354-6839

Chief Walt Red Hawk Brown writes:

The history of the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe is deeply ingrained within the ethnohistory of the Commenwealth Of Virginia as Promulgated by numerous sources, specifically, the Executive Journals of The Commenwealth of Virginia, 1680 to 1775, six volumes, of which Volume III clearly documents the peace accord meeting the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indian Tribe had with the Cherokee. Specifically the meeting that took place on August 16, 1751, as documented in the Virginia Gazett News Paper, on the grounds of the Capatial of Virginia in Williamsburg Virginia; wherein, the two said tribes met under a white flag of truth, smoked the peace pipe and danced around a fire.
Their location within the Commenwealth of Virginia is also depicted on a Map of Virginia that appeared in the 1988 Virginia Atlas. Said Virginia map as researched by three professors at Radford University clearly shows where all Indigenous tribes were located in Virginia in the 1600s. The map shows
the Cherokee Tribe as domicile in the southwest corner of Virginia.

As such, as Chief of a Virginia State Recognized Iroquioan Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indian Tribe of Southampton County Virginia, I take great honor in Strongly Recommending that our Brothers the Iroquioan Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe
be Recognized as a Virginia State Recognized Tribe.

Respectfully,

Chief Walt Red Hawk Brown
Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indian Tribe of Southampton County Virginia
Cattashowrock Town
27345 Aquia Path
Courtland, VA 23837
www.cheroenhaka-nottoway.org
[email protected]
757-354-6839

Family writes:

Our family is not Native American. This began with the advent of the Internet and fictional stories.

Kim Taylor writes:

The so called Wolf Creek Cherokee is not legitimate due to the fact they use other recognized tribes history as their own, they claim artifacts found on an individual’s personal property as Cherokee when in fact they are Pamunkey artifacts. Individual moved the museum from Southwest Virginia to Varina, the Recognized tribes of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma and the Eastern Band of Cherokee in North Carolina do not recognize them as a tribe. Media reports, articles only report they do not investigate, verify claims of facts. Organizations, businesses, state and even federal agencies do not verify their claims of being a Native American tribe due to ignorance or just not wanting to confront the so called tribe’s legitimacy. DNA results didn’t confirm ancestry with Cherokee.
There is a Commission that verifies claims of Native American tribes in Virginia. Let the Commission do its job. People that sponsor this bill don’t have the knowledge to sponsor such a bill, it’s been an issue for years and it needs to stop.