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This writing is in response to the article directly below it:
The issue of Indian recognition goes back to my last email. There are many layers of lies, manipulation, control and deceit built into modern society created by the European worldview. The recognition process itself is one layer of lies, manipulation and deceit. Another layer can be seen with the question that you raise of Roundtree’s support of Virginia Indians. Most of the people recognized as VA Indians are merely white people. Do they have Indian ancestry? Yes, but so do nearly all white people in the USA. Does that make them Indian? The Nottoway Tribe are people of color. If you are white you can be Indian, but if you are brown you cannot be. This is insane since Indians are brown people of color.
So one layer of deceit is that we have a recognition process and thus there is the appearance of legitimacy but it primarily recognizes white people as Indian. A second layer of deceit is that most people would say that Roundtree has been supportive of VA Indians in general. Is this true? On the surface it appears to be and most people would believe this. But in fact she has been in support mostly of select white people being recognized as Indian based upon criteria created by white people (that the white people themselves don’t meet). A third layer of deceit is the long term theft of the tribes. Given the past and present actions of mostly white people being recognized officially as THE Indians and THE Indians being falsely mislabeled as Latino, Black, Hispanic, within a few generations our Indian identity and tribal names will have been stolen. If the present trend continues future generations of Indians will be white and people will think that they have always been white and the documentation and history books will support this lie.
In regards to why the Nottoway being marginalized, lets cut through several more layers of lies and deceit. They are not being marginalized any more than the hundreds of thousands of other brown Native Americans in VA who are not recognized as Native. The goal of the US government since 1776, and the commonwealth of VA and the majority of white people since the European invasion, has been to reduce the number Native Americans to a powerless number, through extermination or quarantine or documentation. Well extermination did not work out very well since we are the majority on Turtle Island (the single continent) with 600 million Native Americans compared to the minority 200 million white people. But due to the layers of deceit and control our numbers are meaningless. The powerlessness is maintained with lies, manipulation, quarantine and deception via apartheid borders, laws, guns, recognition processes and false labels such as Black, Latino, Hispanic, Immigrant. The recognition process, which is controlled by white people, is designed to keep our numbers low and us powerless. The recognition system is the guard at the gate with the goal of keeping Indian numbers low, whereas most people think it is a legitimate system designed to recognize people who have reasonable evidence that they are Indian. The other things that you speak of below are true and are surface layers of lies and deceit designed to keep us tangled in a web of surface confusion and specious technicalities, thus never making it to the deeper layers I speak of above.
And all of this is merely the tip of the iceberg. There are mind bending layers upon layers of lies that we will never make it through with the analytical or white mind. The only way to fully understand the true depths of evil that we are dealing with, from the European invasion, is to return to the Indigenous Way—the original instruction—the hoop. The analytical path is a false god that will keep us tangled in a web and confused and slaves forever. Barry
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Nottoway Indian tribe of Virginia asserts unfair treatment in bid for state recognition
http://www.indianco untrytoday. com/national/ 43114517. html
By Vincent Schilling, Today correspondent
Story Published: Apr 16, 2009
Story Updated: Apr 16, 2009
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – In January 2006, the Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia began the process to obtain state recognition from the Commonwealth of Virginia. The first step in the process, though not legally necessary, is to obtain a formal recommendation through the Virginia Council on Indians. More than 30 months since the tribe first sought the endorsement from the VCI committee, no formal recommendation has been made.
According to the Tribal Recognition Criteria ratified by the VCI May 16, 2006 in accordance with the Code of Virginia, the recognition committee “will normally view the petition and make a recommendation to the VCI within 360 days from the time the committee convenes.”
The current recognition committee, which has changed numerous times since the Nottoway first began its quest for recognition, has not been able to agree on its recommendation to the VCI. The current committee consists of Mitchell Bush, Onondaga-Mohawk; tribal representative Arlene Milner, Upper Mattaponi; Assistant Chief Earl Bass, Nansemond; Chief Anne Richardson, Rappahannock and Helen Rountree, Virginia Indian historian.
Tribal members are claiming support from some committee members, but bias by others that will not “allow the recognition process to work.”
In a rough draft report, Dr. Rountree has voted against five of the six criteria necessary for a statement of recommendation that is not even legally necessary to obtain state recognition. Approval and disapproval of the six criteria varies by other members of the committee. Bush has voted in favor of all six.
In a letter to former Pamunkey and VCI Chair Chief William Miles, Nottoway of Virginia tribal attorney Allard Allston has asked Rountree to resign from the committee.
In addition to the votes against a Nottoway recommendation, Rountree’s career as a historian to American Indian issues does not bode well with members to the tribe.
In an unpublished manuscript titled “The Termination and dispersal of the Nottoway Indians of Virginia,” Rountree wrote:
“There was indeed a continuing decline of the Indian population in Virginia in the Eighteenth Century, not only because of disease and alcohol, but more often because of spin-off due to adoptions of Indian orphans by whites, skilled adults remaining among whites to practice their trades, and (perhaps that early) some disapproved marriages with free negroes to escape the inbreeding. The core of the Indian community that was left was conservative or unambitious or in the case of the Nottoway, both.
The Nottoway continued to claim a declining population and use it to get permission to sell land, but as we shall see, their population actually leveled off in succeeding years at around thirty core individuals. Considering their love of alcohol, attested by several witnesses over the years, the Nottoway probably played the role of the vanishing Indian in order to get the General Assembly’s cooperation and then use the sale money to buy liquor.”
Rountree published an article bearing the same name in the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography in 1987.
Additionally, in a Southampton County Historical Society article, “The Nottoway Indians,” Rountree wrote that the Nottoway sold land for “clothes, guns, ammunition and liquor” and claimed the Nottaway’s loss of identity by merging with African Americans.
When asked about the assertions of bias in her past writing and reasons for not supporting the Nottoway’s recommendation, Rountree said, “I scoured the county records and the state records back in the 70s – I scoured them twice. I also tried to find a modern enclave and I could not find one with modern people in the 70s.
“I went over these documents and some of the documents were very biased against the Nottoway. Anybody who has to deal with drunks is bound to be a little cynical. I tried to write it sympathetically, but the documentary evidence that was there really did indicate that they sold away most of the land. Most of them did not try to hold onto it, there was some exceptions and they dispersed and you cannot find their descendants in the county records because I went looking and that is what I wrote.
“As of ’87, anybody with Nottoway ancestry, if they wanted to get in touch with me, they knew exactly where to find me. The article says Old Dominion University. Nobody contacted me. I could not interview people that were not contacting me. I do not have ESP.”
“I find it extremely offensive to my Nottoway ancestors and me that someone with Ms. Rountree’s credentials has published documents characterizing our indigenous ancestors as aggressive, intimidating, litigious and drunks,” said Assistant Nottoway Chief Archie Elliott, a retired general district court judge. “Native American history would be better served if historians were to focus on the positive role our ancestors played in forming our country’s history and placing less emphasis on negative stereotyping.”
Bush, a retired branch chief of Tribal Enrollment Services for the BIA, wrote in the VCI rough draft report, “Rountree criticized my objection but she herself perhaps should not have participated in the Nottoway Tribe of Virginia’s petition evaluation, given her earlier association with the Nottoway group, and her flat statement that there exists no Nottoway group.”
“In my opinion, Dr. Rountree has shown bias from the onset of the evaluation of the Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia’s state recognition petition,” said Paige Archer, Meherrin, a former VCI Recognition Committee chair. “Dr. Rountree’s stance on this subject, in my opinion, has led to further misconceptions. I feel that her actions have served as an influential roadblock.”
Archer resigned from committee in 2008. Governor Tim Kaine re-appointed her, but she did not accept.
The final decision of the committee will be made in May.
“I’m not challenging someone’s right to have their own personal opinion. All we are asking for is for them to be fair,” Allston said.
The public has the opportunity to comment on tribe’s bid for state recognition to the VCI Recognition Committee – express all concerns to VCI@governor. virginia. gov.
View Oldest Comments First
Saturday, Apr 18 at 8:21 PM Brave Eagle wrote ...
Helen Rountree has shown time and time again that her only duty is to serve her own interests. If a tribe decides that they would like to hire Rountree as their tribal historian, it is a near guarantee that they would get recognized. She would "discover" some information that would seal the deal and they would fly through council. Now if a tribe was to refuse her offer as historian, and presented that same information, she would scoff at it. I am amazed that anyone listens to her drivel.
19836947 Flag for moderation
Saturday, Apr 18 at 12:51 PM Little Feather wrote
Speaking of "drunks", how did the alcohol get here in the first place? History tells us that many of the settlers were not the most savory of characters. And when did 2 wrongs make a right? Just because a group can take advantage of a situation with little strong resistance does not make it the right thing to do.
Friday, Apr 17 at 9:05 PM Johnny wrote ...
Luke has it right. The six tribes recognized by the state within the last 25 years could not pass the current criteria yet they complain they can't meet BIA criteria. As for the Nottoway being drunks, I don't see anyone arguing that is not true. All I see are people embarassed and wanting the positive to be written and not the negative. Can't have it
both ways.
Friday, Apr 17 at 2:42 PM Luke from Fredericksburg wrote ...
It should also be mentioned that the recognized Va. tribes never passed the formal criteria that they created. the first official criteria was established in Aug. of 1989, the last tribe recognized was the Monacan - in Feb. 1989. The Pamunkey reservation was always recognized by the state. Ironically, the 6 non-reservation VA tribes lobbying for legislative federal recognition argue that they cannot pass the BIA criteria. The VA criteria are based on the BIA criteria. No 1 seems to notice.
Friday, Apr 17 at 12:20 PM Andre from Roanoke-Hatteras Tribe wrote ....
The Nottoway Tribe is an "Indian Tribe". They can trace back to allottees of tribal lands. Many of them are still own former reservation lands. Dr. Rountree is very bias and should be removed from the recognition committee. She has a very Eurcentric view of Indian people. How dare she call their ancestors "drunks". Was it not the Europeans who introduced alcohol to the Indians? How can you say that a viable group of people simply "disappeared" or "dispersed". They are a continuing community.
Friday, Apr 17 at 1:18 AM Two Feathers wrote ...
To recognize, or not to recognize, that is the question. Let's take gambling out of the equation. Would these representitives from other Indian Tribes have a different perspective when viewing who to recognize or not. The Virginia Council on Indians does not want to recognize any Indian Tribes or Bands. Stand in line. We have been waiting for 400 years.. They are not legally neccessary. Take it to congress. There is a new wind blowing in a new direction, and what was bent will be made straight.
Thursday, Apr 16 at 9:15 PM kanaratanoron Ambassodor five nation confracy wrote ...
Se:kon Nottoway nation, first let me say hi too my dear friend paige archer hi. This is mikefrom mohawk country.We met at wagne brown`s in winton Great law took place. the nottoway nation sould seek help from the confederacy they have a signed alliance with them so.Follow the path back the tradistional way not the way of the whiteman. IT is true they owe your people Health, welfare,Education. check it out what do you`s have too lose Ne:wen onen
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