Recognizing the Nottoway Tribe

Floor Speech

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Ms. McCLELLAN. Madam Speaker, the Commonwealth of Virginia is home to seven federally recognized Indian Tribes, including the Chickahominy Tribe in my district.

In addition, we have four State-recognized Tribes, one of which is the Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia, which received State recognition in 2010.

During the October recess, I had the opportunity to visit the Tribe's community house and interpretive center in Southampton County where I met with Chief Lynette Allston and Tribal Chair Denise Walters to discuss their rich history.

The Nottoway people first appear in the written record in 1650, when merchant and colonist, Edward Bland, encountered two Nottoway towns on the Nottoway River.

These Iroquoian-speaking people live in dispersed communities along the river in present day Dinwiddie, Isle of Wight, Nottoway, Sussex, and Southampton Counties.

Today, in honor of Native American History Month, I am filing a resolution to provide Federal recognition to the Nottoway Tribe of Virginia and look forward to finally seeing their sovereignty recognized.

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