Indigenous Conservation Council of the Chesapeake Bay

We are delighted to be included in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)'s 2023 Chesapeake WILD annual report as a featured grantee alongside the Rappahannock Tribe! This relatively new program supports initiatives that advance wildlife, climate, and community benefits--including supporting Tribal Nations in rematriation of their ancestral lands. Staff of the Indigenous Conservation Council were thrilled to join as reviewers in the 2024 slate and see all of the incredible projects submitted for funding! There are more success stories to come! One thing is clear--this program needs MORE funding to partner more deeply with Tribal Nations, community partners, and agencies from across the Chesapeake Bay watershed! We're looking forward to sharing successes in the past year through our work with our Tribal Nation members--all of the seven federally recognized tribes in Virginia over the next couple of months! https://lnkd.in/dcBBWFHY #wildlife #biodiversity #rematriation #Indigenous #conservation #stewardship

Congratulations to Chief Frank Adams, Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe and Vice Chair of the Indigenous Conservation Council for being appointed to the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation Board of Trustees!! https://lnkd.in/eiG9nu-S

July 1, 2024 marked the implementation of a new state policy to require consultation with several Commonwealth of Virginia agencies. What does respectful and meaningful consultation look like? Read our blog post and then attend the 2024 Sovereign Nations of Virginia conference on September 19, 2024 which has a focus on consultation this year! In person attendance is now at capacity but you can still participate online! https://lnkd.in/dskqQMAn

Rematriation takes PARTNERSHIP! Kudos to the Nansemond Indian Nation, Ducks Unlimited, and the City of Suffolk, VA for coming together to protect Mattanock! What a beautiful picture of all of the partners celebrating this victory at last week's pow-wow with tribal leaders Assistant Chief Dave Hennaman and Vice Chair Nikki Bass! https://lnkd.in/ebKJVGBd

Earlier this year, the Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe set up an oral history and story sharing booth at their annual pow-wow. Listen to former Chief Ken Adams give a master class in the history of the tribe, the movement of Tribal Nations across Tidewater Virginia shaped directly by colonialism, the surrounding vibrant communities that once thrived next to their current tribal lands, and the places and institutions that defined their connections and diaspora to ancestral homelands. What a rich history!! https://lnkd.in/ef_CwshQ

What a day at the Nansemond Indian Nation's pow-wow today! Make sure to join them to learn about and celebrate Indigenous culture and resilience tomorrow from 10-5PM! Here's a picture of our Board member, Assistant Chief Dave Hennaman in all his regalia and his amazing wife Ruth and a bear skin strung up. The pow-wow is held on the grounds of Mattanock, ancestral land over looking the river which bears the Tribe's name. It was a stunning day and so great to meet so many tribal leaders, citizens and community members and so many partners!

Everyone is talking about the good news that Mattanock has been fully returned to the Nansemond Indian Nation! Check out this wonderful story originally written by Chesapeake Bay Journal and now being picked up in media outlets around Virginia about a success story 14 years in the making! And make sure to join the Nation this weekend for their annual pow-wow! https://lnkd.in/dBR8ScWN

A new portrait honors of Karenne Wood, a citizen of the MONACAN INDIAN NATION, INC. and a past cultural director for the Nation, a former director of the Virginia Indians Program at the Virginia Humanities, and a former professor of the University of Virginia as a changemaker who broke new barriers in Virginia. Wood helped revise the Standards of Learning to provide a more complete picture of Indigenous history in the Commonwealth and a more accurate description of the violence perpetrated against Indigenous Peoples. The portrait features Wood in her regalia with Bear Mountain, a deeply sacred site, rising in the background. The portrait was painted by Esther Candari.   The portrait’s label cites Wood as a “poet, mother, linguistic anthropologist, alumnae, community member, iris enthusiast...[and] a tireless advocate for equality, accessibility, and repair." She was the first Monacan to complete a doctorate degree at UVA. Family, tribal leaders, and the Native American Student Union gathered on Monacan ancestral lands at UVA to honor the installation of Wood's portrait. Wood died in 2019 and her portrait will be included with other leaders celebrated by UVA for breaking barriers. Rest in power and may her legacy continue to inspire others! https://lnkd.in/dxfCQBnS

Our powwow is just a few days away! We welcome our family and friends from near and far to join us on our ancestral land on the Nansemond River. Our annual cultural celebration is a unique blend of music, dance, food, and crafts, showcasing the best of our region's talent. This year, we will celebrate the powerful partnerships that have significantly expanded our environmental stewardship, the Mattanock settlement, the grand opening of Fishing Point Healthcare, and more. We are grateful for your support and ask for your help in spreading the word about this exciting weekend!

Check out our wrap-up of last week's quarterly ICC Board Meeting full of wonderful guest speakers from across Turtle Island! https://wix.to/fHqnrbZ #newblogpost #Indigenous #datasovereignty #conservation