The Monacan Indians of Virginia: A History

This presentation examines the 18,000-year presence of Native peoples in the place we now call Virginia, and the intimate relationships developed by Monacan people with their homeland over the past millennia. It beings with what we know from archaeology, era by era, and continues through recent centuries with the arrival of English colonists and what happened to Monacan people as a result. It examines state policies that targeted Monacans and others, and it discusses contemporary issues involving Virginia Indians, leading up to the federal recognition of six Virginia tribes that occurred just a few months ago. Drawn from a Native perspective, it offers balanced ideas about how we can work together to sustain our world and build mutual respect. Karenne Wood is an enrolled member of the Monacan Indian Nation who directs Virginia Indian Programs at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. Light Refreshments.