On Monday, the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia officially took ownership of 870 acres of ancestral homeland along the Rappahannock River.
According to a press release, the property, situated along the Rappahannock River, Route 17, and Route 2 in Spotsylvania and Caroline counties, was donated to The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in the 1970s. TNC has been focused on partnering with Native American tribes and other Indigenous peoples to broaden stewardship of ancestral homelands.
The tribe will serve as the permanent steward of the property going forward, with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) holding a conservation easement on the land. The property contains significant natural heritage resources, including forest lands, river shoreline, stream systems and significant wetlands. The land also includes important habitats for wildlife.
“Today marks a watershed moment in the modern history of the Patawomeck people as we officially take on the sacred responsibility of stewarding this land where our ancestors once trod,” Patawomeck Tribal Chief Charles Bullock said in the release. “This property will be instrumental in maintaining our traditional cultural practices and instilling a deep connection to the lands and waters of our home within future generations of our citizens. We have been delighted to work with our partners at TNC, TPL, and VOF in this process.”
Trust for Public Land (TPL) secured a North American Wetlands Act Grant through the U.S.Fish & Wildlife Service as well as a grant from VOF’s Preservation Trust Fund and worked with TNC and the Patawomeck Tribe to deploy these funding resources to support the transition of the land and its future stewardship by the tribe.
“We believe that every tribe should have a homeland where they can receive the benefits of access to nature, the outdoors, and their culture,” said Lynda Frost, senior project manager for TPL in Virginia. “We are honored to work alongside the Patawomeck Tribe to ensure the preservation of sacred lands for future generations.
“We are proud to support the Patawomeck Tribe in their ownership and stewardship of these important ancestral lands and waters and are humbled to work with our tribal partners and others to ensure a future where all people, communities and nature thrive,” said Bettina Ring, state director of Virginia TNC.
The tribe received recognition from the Commonwealth of Virginia in 2010 and is currently working to receive federal recognition from the U.S. government. Federal recognition would give the tribe authority over its ancestral land, help preserve cultural traditions and give access to additional resources offered by the government to federally recognized tribes.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to work with the Patawomeck Tribe in stewarding these ancestral lands,” said VOF Executive Director Brett Glymph. “We look forward to strengthening this partnership and ensuring that the tribe’s rich heritage is preserved.”
Since 1997, TPL has worked with more than 70 tribes and Native groups to protect homelands and culturally significant places such as ancestral burial grounds, fishing sites, and lands that supply traditional foods and medicines. Through these efforts, TPL has helped protect or return more than 200,000 acres of land to Native Americans and Native Hawaiians.
