As federal legislation that would further legitimize a local Indian tribe sits idle, local historians call shenanigans.
On one side, there is Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-7, Stafford, Fredericksburg) and bill H.R. 5553 extending Federal recognition to the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia, Inc. This bill, called the "Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia Federal Recognition Act," extends federal recognition to the Patawomeck Indian Tribe, making the tribe and its members eligible for services and benefits provided to federally recognized tribes.
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The Patawomeck Tribe of Virginia sent a cease and desist letter after Stafford County Historical Society members questioned the tribe’s authenticity.
Rick and Jerilynn MacGregor sent the letter to the tribe and the Stafford County Board of Supervisors in September 2022, questioning the legitimacy of the tribe, claiming that there is no documentation supporting the Patawomeck as a tribe indigenous to the region.
The letter was titled “Where is the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia Inc. Recognition Does Not Equal Legitimacy September 2022”.
The tribe was granted recognition as a state-recognized tribe in 2010 by the Virginia General Assembly.
“The process through which the PITV obtained their state recognition reminds us of the little story of Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody,” states the MacGregors in their letter. “Over the last 15 years or so, everybody assumed that somebody had done their “due diligence” to confirm the accuracy of the historical narrative espoused by the IPTV. From all we’ve seen thus far, nobody did.”
The MacGregors also called into question the process in which the tribe received recognition through the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond rather than through the Virginia Council on Indians, which the tribe had applied to the council for recognition twice and was denied both times.
Rick MacGregor serves as the Stafford Historical Society President, while Jerilynn MacGregor serves as its secretary. The group is a non-profit organization dating back to 1965, charged with the historical education and preservation of Stafford County.
“We’re upset about this. The tribe has tried to foster goodwill and provide education about the history of the Patawomeck,” said Charlie Payne Jr., the tribe’s lawyer. “The MacGregors have been invited to discuss the issue with the tribe but have declined the offer, this matter was settled back in 2010 by the General Assembly and we have historians that have looked over the evidence and support the tribe.”
The tribe demanded the MacGregors stop the “dissemination of false and misleading information about the tribe” and threatened legal civil action and penalties for failure to comply.
The couple had been invited to talk to the Patawomeck regarding their questions as recently as May 2022 but declined the offer, said Payne. The lawyer also shared letters from historians at both the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg and American University in Washington D.C. that support the tribe’s standing of legitimacy and dispute the claims of lack of documentation.
The letters from the college’s historians, Danielle Moretti-Langholtz and Buck Woodard, respectively, show that documentation on the tribe exists through recorded interviews with tribe members who gave oral histories as well as reports from neighboring tribes such as the Pamunkey.
The letters also dispute the claims of legitimacy of Virginia tribes, especially under the auspices of the Virginia Council on Indians. Moretti-Langholtz writes in her letter that the council was never mandated to draw up criteria for recognition, to which no such standards were ever agreed upon.
Moretti-Langholtz sat on the council when she was appointed by then Governor Mark Warner in 203 and served until 2006. Moretti-Langholtz also mentioned that the council had been recently reconvened in Richmond to set up such criteria.
In June 2019, the Stafford County Board of Supervisors reached a lease deal with the Patawomeck Tribe to lease a part of Duff Green Park to build a cultural center and museum opened in the Summer 2022. The county also paid for improvements to the area, which included renovations for the Duff House estimated to cost $109,000 and various improvements to paths, roads, and gardens, which, combined with the upgrades, cost $334,000.
“The heritage and lineage of the tribe are well noted and recognized by the commonwealth and professors from noted universities. It’s unfortunate that instead of working to unite Stafford in its diversity, some are choosing to be divisive,” said George Washington District Supervisor Tom Coen.
According to the tribe, The Patawomeck tribe of Virginia Indians is based in Stafford County, along the Potomac River (Patawomeck is another spelling of Potomac). It is one of Virginia’s 11 recognized Native American tribes.
