The Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe

25th Annual Pow-Wow & Festival

bbell — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:36:55 +0000

Upper Mattaponi members restoring a community cornerstone

bbell — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:00:06 +0000

Ken Adams spent 10 years in classes at a one-story brick school building on state Route 30 in King William County. Forty-five years later, Adams, 63, is back at Sharon Indian School, helping to renovate the last Indian public school building in Virginia.

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Virginia Woman In History 2010

bbell — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:34:19 +0000

In honor of National Women’s History Month, The Library of Virginia is honoring eight women who have made important contributions to Virginia’s history. One of the honorees is an Upper Mattaponi woman, Molly Holmes Adams.

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Virginia tribes take another step on road to federal recognition

bbell — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:00:46 +0000

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee endorsed a bill introduced by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., that would grant federal recognition to six Indian tribes in Virginia.

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Virginia Indians Visit Cecil Road Primary & Nursery School

admin — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 00:00:23 +0000

Cecil Road Primary and Nursery School were delighted to welcome a group of Virginia Indians as part of the Gravesham “Virginia Indian Festival”. The Virginia Indians are visiting many schools this week as part of their visit and we were delighted to be the first.

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Virginia Indians Visit England

admin — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 00:00:38 +0000

Excerpts from “Reconciling The Past”
Culpeper Star Exponent, July 9, 2006

The first major group of travelers from England arrived on Virginia.s shores 400 years ago, with visions of wealth and success.

On July 12, a group of Virginia Indian chiefs journeyed to England, this time to raise awareness of their tribes and make peace with their ancestors’ conquerors.

For England’s Jamestown 2007 organizers, the trip was a chance to revive social and economic links between Kent County – where the trip is centered – and Virginia.

For Indians, it was a first step toward balming scars of violence and betrayal formed long ago.

This gate … was opened up when the British came,” explained Upper Mattaponi Chief Kenneth Adams. “This reconciliation, this 400-year journey that we.ve been on, is sort of a closing of that circle.”

The main thing I think we’re interested in is that (they know) the Virginia Indians still exist,” said Wayne Adkins, assistant chief of the Chickahominy tribe. “The way the history is written, it sounded like the Indians in Virginia disappeared around the mid 1700s.”

Perhaps most important, leaders say, is the chance to confront the complex emotions surrounding their history – pride in their ancestors’ role in keeping the Jamestown colony afloat, mixed with anger and sorrow at their eventual decimation at the hands of the English.

“When we come together where Pocahontas has been laid to rest, I’m convinced that there will be tears of joy,” Adams said, his voice choking with emotion. “And some sorrow.”

Jamestown 2007: A Native American Perspective

admin — Wed, 01 Jun 2005 00:00:27 +0000

Jamestown 2007. Say those words aloud to any Virginian and you are almost sure to get a response. Say those words aloud to any Virginia Indian and that response could be anything from outright disgust to, “This is an opportunity to tell our story.”

By Chief Ken Adams
Cooperative Living, June 2005

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Virginia chiefs meet with English visitors at pow wow

admin — Mon, 16 May 2005 00:00:42 +0000

CHARLES CITY, Va. – British dignitaries visited six of Virginia;s state-recognized tribes earlier this month to acknowledge that Great Britain considered the tribes to be sovereign nations hundreds of years ago.

By Bobbie Whitehead
Indian Country Today, May 2005

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