Indigenous Conservation Council of the Chesapeake Bay on LinkedIn: Powwow (2024)

Beautiful images from yesterday's pow wow hosted by the MONACAN INDIAN NATION, INC. !The second day is underway and a wonderful way to learn about a culture still thriving!https://lnkd.in/eSB9n_8A

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Beautiful photos of the phenomenal dancers at the Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe's 35th annual pow-wow this weekend!https://lnkd.in/eeb-3JdzDon't forget to join the MONACAN INDIAN NATION, INC. at their pow-wow this weekend!

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Fantastic!

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It's pow wow season in Virginia! The first pow wow of the season will be held on the tribal land of the Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe on May 25-26. Are you ready to learn and support culture sharing of Virginia's Tribal Nations?Thank you to Tanya Stewart (Chickahominy Indian Tribe) who is cultural director for the CHICKAHOMINY INDIANS-EASTERN DIVISION INCORPORATED. She sat down with us to share more about the meaning and cultural traditions shared by Tribal Nations at pow wows. We'll be there, will you?https://lnkd.in/eHxZ_CF5#Indigenous #culture #history #traditions

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We are cheering on the GREAT news that the Suffolk City Council voted last night to transfer Mattanock Town to its rightful stewards with the goal of protecting of environmental and cultural resources. We are standing in solidarity and happiness with The Nansemond Indian Nation for this reunion with their land that has been hundreds of years in the making!Mattanock Town is the ancestral lands of the Nansemond located directly on the river and was formerly a mining site that was shut down by the EPA. Since the 1980s the Nation has been trying to regain jurisdiction over their land. The Nation partnered with Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Chesapeake Bay Foundation to develop a restoration plan in 2022. They have been actively working on oyster restoration, tree planting, and forest management to repair this wounded landscape. They made this commitment even as their future jurisdiction was in question and the threat of eviction lingered as they decided it was inappropriate to transform the site into a tourist attraction per an initial agreement with the City. Moving forward, the Nation will be working with partners to place an easem*nt on the property to ensure they can steward it in the way in which meets with tribal goals for cultural protection. Kudos to tribal leadership and staff who refused to give up to bring this decision to fruition!! Thank you to City of Suffolk, VA Council leadership for supporting land transfer in a way that respects the importance of cultural resources!https://lnkd.in/e4CPsjug#LandBack #Indigenous #conservation

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WOW! So very cool! Right in the United States Capitol!

Kudos to Nikki Bass, Councilor with the Nansemond Indian Nation for sharing tribal leadership dating back centuries to protect the river which bears their name. Councilor Bass shared the deep connections, history and knowledge shared by her people as river protectors. She was joined Cameron Bruce to discuss the Nation's active engagement in fighting for the health of the river and sovereignty of their ancestral lands, including at Mattanock Town.“I think there is still such a lack of awareness for tribal presence, not just here, but everywhere,” Bruce said. “So when you see people from the outside community wondering where there’s a tribal presence in terms of land ownership or where people live, I think that’s a good way to get the education out there.”It's no secret that land under tribal care holds the great majority (80%!!) of biodiversity on the planet. Supporting tribal connections rivers, plants, animals, and land is strengthened when sovereignty is protected and Indigenous people are reconnected to their ancestral lands. It's been proven time and time again.Beth Cross of the Nansemond River Preservation Alliance also shared the latest State of the Nansemond River report and its continuing decline due to mounting development and disconnection from the river. It is past time to connect future generations and time-tested stewardship to reverse the downward spiral.https://lnkd.in/e562FV4U#Indigenous #sovereignty #LandBack #waterquality #restoration #biodiversity

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EXCERPT: "Recognition codifies a special government-to-government relationship with tribes and acknowledges their rights and sovereignty. It also opens up opportunities for federal funds to flow...Virginia law is out of sync with federal regulations, creating two sets of rules to follow.'Virginia has a lot of catching up to do,' said Andy Block, a professor at the University of Virginia School of Law." New consultation policy and the extension of the Code Commission to actually address issues of these two sets of conflicting rules create for Tribal Nations is a one step forward for sovereignty but not the full step toward consent that is required under international law. Sovereignty is inherent. Tribal nations have always been sovereign nations and will always remain so!https://lnkd.in/erpAJfqx#Sovereignty #consultation #Indigenous #UNDRIP

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