History tells us that Indigenous people lived in Virginia Beach for thousands of years.
Or as the city of Virginia Beach’s Land Acknowledgement statement reads, “since time immemorial.”
City leaders unveiled a plaque on Thursday in the lobby of City Hall to recognize the traditions, cultures and economic and ecological impact efforts of Virginia tribes. Mayor Bobby Dyer, several City Council members, multiple tribal chiefs and residents with ties to Indigenous communities attended the festive ceremony.
“This is a point of pride for our city,” Dyer said. “We are creating a visible reminder for all to see of the Indigenous people who have a long-term commitment to the land whose values and contributions continue to shape our community.”
The recognition, two years in the making, is from the nine-person Land Acknowledgement Committee, chaired by Michael Cloud-Butler, a former city employee and member of the Anishinaabe-Ojibwe tribe.
“I’m proud that I was able to be a part of this. I think it’s legacy and I think it’s really important to set the stage and serve as an example,” said Olga Torres Baker, one of four members on the committee who also serves on Virginia Beach’s Arts and Humanities Commission.
The committee presented the 222-word statement to Council last November. It was adopted last year.
“They kept all the language intact, which was very satisfying,” said Hillary Plate, a committee member and part of the Cultural Affairs Department.
Virginia recognizes 11 tribes; four of those lack federal recognition. Estimating the number of Indigenous peoples in the commonwealth is difficult, partially because of a 1924 law that mandated state agencies classify Native Americans as colored. The Racial Integrity Act remained in effect until it was largely overturned by the Supreme Court's decision in Loving v. Virginia in 1967.
The wording in the Land Acknowledgement affirms the “systemic erasure of their culture spanning 400 years since the colonization of America.” The Indigenous communities are lauded as an integral part of the past, present and future, and the statement embraces the intention to reconnect and revive the rich culture of Indigenous people locally and statewide.
As part of the ceremony, artist Nathan Elliott gifted the city with a cedar wood bowl designed by him and artist Rachel Pretlow. Both belong to the Nottaway tribe. While driving to the event, Pretlow turned up powwow songs and talked to her ancestors, saying, “Look how far we have come!”
“Their sacrifices were clearly not for nothing,” she said.
Tiffany Desnoyers listened to the speakers intently while clutching an American Girl doll, both of them dressed in identical ribbon skirts and matching braids. Desnoyers chose the traditional attire to represent her roots in the Cheroenhaka tribe.
“On one hand, I could never have imagined this happening in Virginia Beach,” Desnoyers said. She recalls the hurt she felt when, in 1997, the name of Seashore State Park was changed to First Landing State Park to acknowledge the first landing of Christopher Newport and the Virginia Company in 1607. “This is a toe toward the right direction, but there’s definitely more work to be done.”
Her tribe is not federally recognized, which leaves it without access to vital services and scholarships.
Worth Remick, who represents District 6 on Council, said he learned little in school about Indigenous communities beyond the legend of Pocahontas.
“There’s a lot more,” said Remick, who was educated in Suffolk and Smithfield. “We have a lot of warts in our history. And we still have warts today. Is this a step in the right direction? Yes. But how many steps is it going to take?
City Council created a resolution in 2023 to form partnerships with Indigenous tribes. That was encouraging to Keith Anderson, chief of the Nansemond Indian Nation, who also spoke at the ceremony.
“That is probably just as important, if not more important, than the acknowledgement,” he said. “We want an active seat at the table. We are a phenomenal asset to any organization.”