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Chickahominy Tribe information is from a public document, 41virginia.pdf by
Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce

State recognized
Chickahominy
Charles City County, Virginia
Chickahominy Indian Tribe
8200 Lott Cary Road
Providence Forge, VA
23140(804) 829-2186
Tribally owned -125
State Trust - 0
Tribal members (tribe, 1995): 750 -1,000

LOCATION AND LAND STATUS
The Chickahominy Indian Tribe purchased a 225-acre farm in Charles City County-an area encompassing some of their aboriginal lands. Tribal lands are located between the Chickahominy and James Rivers. The tribe divided the farm into 5-acre parcels and encouraged its members to purchase these homesites. The division of the farm into home sites also successfully promoted a sense of community, which remains strong today. The 5-acre parcels are privately owned by tribal members and are not considered allotments. The remaining 125-acre farm is leased to a private farmer. While the tribe was recognized by the state of Virginia in1983, the tribe prefers to keep the farm as a tribal asset, rather than have it put into trust.

CULTURE AND HISTORY
In 1995, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe began seeking recognition from the federal government. At the time of this writing, the tribe was beginning to compile the documents needed for its case.

GOVERNMENT
Tribal members elect their government officials every four years. The chief, two assistant chiefs, and the ten-member council volunteer their time to serve their constituents. The council has five male representatives and five female representatives.

AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK
The tribe owns a 125-acre farm, which it leases to a private farmer. The income from the farm rent is enough to cover property taxes. Crops rotated on the farm include: soybeans, corn, milo, barley, wheat, oats, and rye. Many members used to make their living farming, but have since found employment in the manufacturing sector.

GOVERNMENT AS EMPLOYER
The fourteen elected officials volunteer their time to the tribe. The tribe has no employees.

FORESTRY
Ten years ago the tribe harvested maple and oak trees, but does not plan to harvest any remaining forested area in the near future.

SERVICES
One member owns a local grocery store and another operates a service station.

TOURISM AND RECREATION
The tribe hosts an annual pow wow during the last weekend of September. The pow wow is held on the grounds of the tribal center located in Providence Forge.

TRANSPORTATION
Three members own trucking companies.

INFRASTRUCTURE
Major airlines fly into the Richmond International Airport. Bus service is also available in Richmond. UPS and Federal Express deliver to Providence Forge. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad runs through Charles County.

COMMUNITY FACILITIES
The tribal center was built in 1976 and is located on 11 acres of the tribal land. It has a large meeting room, with a seating capacity of 250 persons and a kitchen. The tribe's church, the Samaria Baptist Church, and the baseball field are also situated next to the center.

Electric power is provided by Virginia Power. Homes are heated with oil. More than 200 homes use individual septic tanks and wells.


This following information is from Chickahominy River Fact Sheet (1996) (PDF file)
an Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay publication

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Offices: MD: 410-377-6270 / PA: 717-737-8622 / VA: 804-775-0951 / DC: 202-466-4633


HISTORY:
The Chickahominy River is named after the Native American people who still inhabit the region. Chickahominy means "coarse pounded corn people". At the time of the earliest English settlement, the Chickahominy people existed surrounded by the powerful Powhatan confederacy of which they were not a part. It was members of the Chickahominy tribe who captured Captain John Smith of Jamestown when he was exploring the Chickahominy River. They turned Smith over to Chief Powhatan, whose daughter Pocahontas is said to have begged her father to spare Smith's life, beginning a friendship that enabled the survival of the English on this continent. Today, although they do not have a reservation, the Chickahominy tribe is the largest Native American tribe in Virginia with over a thousand members, and private land holdings in the Chickahominy watershed.


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