Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia

Through House Joint Resolution No. 150, the Commonwealth of Virginia's legislators formally designated the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia as a state-recognized tribe in 2010. The resolution states: "That the General Assembly of Virginia, by this resolution, does not address the question of whether the tribe has been continuously in existence since 1776; and, be it RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Commonwealth, by this resolution does not confirm, confer or address in any manner any issues of sovereignty." == Organizations ==

In 2014, the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia formed a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, based in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Charles "Bootsy" Bullock serves as their president in 2024. Robert Green of Fredericksburg, Virginia, identifies as "Chief Emeritus" of the Patawomeck Indians of Virginia and served as primary chief from 1996 to 2013. He also served as president of the Patawomeck Heritage Foundation from 2010 to 2015. Its officers are: • President: Lou Silver • Treasurer: Mary Ann Berry, also agent • Secretary: Annette Schaul. In 2022, they had an estimated membership of 2,300. By 2023, their membership was 2,600. == History ==

Robert "Two Eagles" Green was the chief of the tribe from its reorganization until 2013, when he retired and became Chief Emeritus. Green was an adviser to the filmmakers of The New World (2005), about the colony at Jamestown and the Native American peoples and cultures encountered by the colonists. Green appeared in the film in a non-speaking role; his son Jason Green also appeared as a Powhatan warrior. However, racism in Virginia caused many families to hide their Indian ancestry. Today the tribe has approximately 2,300 members, most of whom live in Stafford County within ten miles of Patawomeck. In 2014, the tribe worked with Stafford High School to make the school's "Indian" mascot more representative of Virginia Indians. In 2019, John Lightner was succeeded by Charles Bullock as Chief. == Activities ==

The organization opened the Patawomeck Museum and Cultural Center in Fredericksburg in 2023. Stafford County leased an 1890s brick farmhouse on 17-acres of land to the organization for $1 a year as part of a ten-year lease. Local businesses and foundations have provided grants to fund the restoration of the farmhouse. == Status ==

In 2023, then-Representative Abigail Spanberger introduced a bill in the House of Representatives, co-sponsored by Representatives Jen Kiggans and Jennifer Wexton, for the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia to be federally recognized. The Stafford County Historical Society opposes federal recognition of the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia since it could find no documentation connecting members of the state-recognized tribe to the historical Native Americans who lived along the Potomac River. In 2023, the society's president, Connie Hilker, wrote: “After a two-and-a-half-year review of all available sources and scholarship, SCHS finds no evidence to support the PITV’s claim of tribal continuity … or that the current members of the organization are descendants of the original Patawomeck tribe." == References ==