The Chickahominy are still vibrant as a community on land between the Chickahominy and James River in Charles City County, Virginia, near where their ancestors lived.
The tribe has over 800 members, making it the second largest of Virginia’s Indian tribes. Hundreds of its members live within a few miles of each other -- the tribe owns about 110 acres subdivided into family lots. At its center are the Chickahominy Tribal Center and Samaria Baptist Church, formerly the Samaria Indian Church, once a school for Indian children.
Annual Pow-Wow
Thousands of people from across the United States attend the Chickahominy’s annual Pow-Wow held on Tribal Center grounds each September. The public is welcome to watch the Chickahominny Tribal Dancers perform traditional dances that have been passed down through many generations. Members often wear traditional dress known as regalia to the fall festival. One of the highlights is the crowning of Miss Chickahominy, Junior Miss Chickahominy and Little Miss Chickahominy.
The first weekend in May the Chickahominy host the Six Nations Pow-Wow, and the tribe holds a crab fest each October.
The Tribal Center is located at 8200 Lott Cary Road in Charles City County.
The tribe is governed by a chief, two assistant chiefs and an elected Tribal Council which includes both men and women.
The Chickahominy were an Algonquian tribe and at times allied itself with the famous Chief Powhatan.
To see a slide show of the Tribal Center grounds, visit : http://www.examiner.com/day-trips-in-richmond/chickahominy-indian-tribe-lives-on-ancestral-land-virginia
