GLOUCESTER COUNTY, Va. — The Rappahannock Indian Tribe brought their rich culture to Machicomoco State Park in Gloucester County with a tribal dance on full display!
"We just want the people to come out and understand a little bit about our culture, who we are, where we're from," said Judith Fortune, a member of the Rappahannock Indian Tribe.
These special dances were during an Indigenous People's Day celebration recently at the park.
Jacob Fortune, one of the tribal dancers who performed, shared what he hopes the public, who came out to the event, focused on, "That we're still here, that we're still here, that we're still practicing our traditions."
Judith Fortune strongly agrees, "I think it's important that everyone knows the First Nation's people are still here, so we come out and educate the public."
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And their effort to educate the public, was at a fitting place: Virginia's first state park dedicated to showcasing the history of the indigenous people who call Virginia home, Machicomoco State Park.
"One of the languages spoken here was Algonquin, and so Machicomoco comes, derives from that and does mean, 'a special meeting place,'" said Terry Sims, the park manager.
There is a special area in the park with educational markers detailing the history of the Indigenous people, for example how life revolved around towns located on rivers that used to be named after Native American tribes. The James used to be the Powhatan, the York used to be the Pamunkey.
And yes, there are scenic views to help reinforce the pivotal role these waterways played in Native American life, but beyond the beauty of the park is the important history lesson you can read about.
One lesson details that starting about 18,000 years ago, Paleo-Indians (the first humans to inhabit the Americas) lived in small groups throughout the Chesapeake Bay region.
A fact Jacob Fortune emphasizes, "Virginia is, is native land, we're all on native land. I think that, in itself knowing the representation of that land from each tribe will give you a better understanding of how to steward the land, how to take care of the land."
But in addition to knowing the history of who was in this area first, Jacob also hopes the public realizes this about Indigenous people: "That we're not extinct like a lot of people think we are, we come across people all the time surprised that we're still around. A lot of people think that all the natives that were here, have gone out west. I'd like for the public to know that we're resilient and that we're a part of our culture, a living culture that's still here today."
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And to get a better understanding of who they are, Jacob says, just ask.
"We're normal people so you can come up and talk to us," Jacob said. "I promise you if they're a native person, they have heard thousands of other questions that are pretty questionable. There's not too much that offends us when it comes to questions anymore."
