Following the Path to the Past
Some of the oldest public documents citing the Nottoway Indians are located in the Colonial Records of Surry County. During the past few years, a relationship has developed with the Surry County governmental officials and the people of Surry County which culminated in the Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia’s annual Pow Wow being held on a site near the Southside of the James River. The location is on a direct route to Jamestown from present day North Carolina. This route was a path traveled by the Nottoway and other Southeastern Native American Tribes to negotiate with the English colonists. The travel by Nottoway Indians to Jamestown to pay tribute is depicted in a painting recently displayed and unveiled in Historic Jamestown in December 2008.
The painting was featured in the newspaper, Indian Country Today.
Link to article – http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/national/37678354.html
For the Future
Our goals range from personal to broadly based Tribal endeavors.
On the Tribal level, our goal is to be an official State Recognized Tribe. Most Virginians believe that recognition by the Commonwealth offers some special benefits. It does not. It is an acknowledgement of cultural identity and ancestry.
As a part of our ongoing initiatives, we continue to move forward with community outreach through educational collaborations. Our primary interests are in education and cultural arts. Our desire is to expand awareness of Nottoway Indian history and the history of other Virginia Native Americans through a Virginia Native American Arts and History Symposium.
Tribal Members each have their desires to understand their Native heritage, to reclaim a cultural identity through self-growth and to live productively with all Virginians.
The Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia, Inc. Pow Wow 2009 will be on September 19 & 20, on the grounds of the Surry Parks and Recreation Center, 205 Enos Farm Road, Surry, VA 23829. For more information about our Pow Wow, contact Edward Branch, Pow Wow Chairman at (757) 654-9301 or (757) 686-8602
Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia, Inc.
P O Box 246
Capron, VA 23829
Website - http://nottowayindians.org/
2008 Participation in Events
February 29 –March 1, 2008 Attended the Indian Women’s Conference at the University of North Carolina Pembroke.
March 15, 2008 - The Intertribal Women’s Circle gifted an Honor Social to the Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia, Inc. as a gesture of friendship and support
March 27, 2008 - Chief Lynette Allston received the Edy Turner award on behalf of the Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia, Inc. at the Library of Virginia Women’s History Month Award honoring 19th Century Nottoway Chief Edy Turner – Tribal members in attendance were Assistant Chief Archie Elliott, War Chief William Wright, Leroy Hardy, Jr., Crystal Joyner, Ayden Allston, Allard Allston
March 30, 2008 Taste of Surry Nottoway history display and discussion –
Presentation by Tribal Council Member, Leroy Hardy; demonstration by
Tribal member, Joshua Hardy, demonstrations and historical display by Chief Lynette Allston
May 12, 2008 Surry Historical Society, featured speaker and presentation on Nottoway history.
June 7 & 8 2008 Chippokes Air and Steam Festival, history display and demonstrations, primitive tools demonstrations by Tribal member, Nathan Elliott; dramatic presentation by Tracy Elliott, Tribal historical display and demonstrations by Tribal members
July 21, 2008 Claremont Library Presentation, children’s activities by Tribal Members
August 9, 2008 Tribal Council Chairman, Chief Lynette Allston was a speaker at the
Weyanoke Red Black event in Richmond.
August 23, 2008 Special invited guests at the Surry African American Family Reunion, Chippokes State Park
September 20-21, 2008 Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia, Inc. Annual Pow Wow, was held on the Grounds of the Surry County Parks and Recreation facility in cooperation with the Surry County Government
- November 2008 Native American History Month Involvements -
Nov 1, 2008 Tribal members participated in the Hampton University Homecoming Parade in honor of the Native American students who have attended Hampton. Sid Turner, a native of Capron and a graduate of Hampton University was the Tribal Flag bearer.
November 1, 2008 Chippokes Plantation State Park Holiday Celebration, demonstration and presentation of children’s activities by Tribal Members, Joyce Flythe, Tracy Elliott, Jackie Elliott, flute music by Nathan Elliott
November 1, 2008 – Presentation at the Weyanoke Red Black event in Hampton
by Assistant Chief, Archie Elliott. Other Tribal Members in attendance were Tribal Member Sheila Elliott, Tribal Councilman Greg Stephenson and his wife Diane Stephenson.
November 8, 2008 – Beading demonstration by Chief Lynette Allston at Jamestown with the Intertribal Women’s Circle
November 12, 2008 Chief Lynette Allston participated as a panelist in a teleconference for the Virginia Public Health and Public Health Policy panel discussion on health disparities within Native American communities
November 14, 2008 Chief Lynette Allston was a Special Guest for the television station CW 27 Talk Show, “Here and Now”
November 25, 2008 Norfolk Naval Base, Chief Lynette Allston, Keynote Speaker
December 13, 2008 Jamestown – National Park Service officially unveiled historic painting, Nottoway entering Jamestown in 1690, Painting by Keith Rocco.
Chief Lynette Allston attended on behalf of the Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia, Inc.