Indigenous Peoples of Virginia

United States   Virginia    Indians of Virginia

To learn how to get started with American Indian research, find research facilities, and American Indian websites click here.

Tribes and Bands of Virginia
The following list of American Indians who have lived in Virginia has been compiled from Hodge's Handbook of American Indians... and from Swanton's The Indian Tribes of North America.


 * Cherokee
 * Chickahominy Indian Tribe
 * Manahoac
 * Meherrin
 * Monacan
 * Nahyssan
 * Nansemond Indian Tribe
 * Nottaway
 * Occaneech
 * Powhatan
 * Saponi
 * Shawnee
 * Tutelo
 * United Rappahannock Tribe
 * Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe


 * See also Melungeons, not a tribe, but probably part American Indian

See Virginia Council on Indians list of state recognized tribes.

Reservations
From the mid-1800s, the official policy of the United States government toward the American Indian was to confine each tribe to a specific parcel of land called a reservation. Agencies were established on or near each reservation. A government representative, usually called an agent (or superintendent) was assigned to each agency. Their duties included maintaining the peace, making payments to the Native Americans based on the stipulations of the treaties with each tribe, and providing a means of communication between the native population and the federal government.

Sometimes, a single agency had jurisdiction over more than one reservation. And sometimes, if the tribal population and land area required it, an agency may have included sub-agencies.

The boundaries of reservations, over time, have changed. Usually, that means the reservations have been reduced in size. Sometimes, especially during the later policy of "termination," the official status of reservations was ended altogether.

The following list of reservations has been compiled from the National Atlas of the United States of America, the Omni Gazetteer of the United States of America , and other sources. Those reservations named in bold are current federally-recognized reservations, with their associated agency and tribe(s). Others have historically been associated with the state or are not currently recognized by the federal government.


 * Mattapony Reservation: State, Tribe: Mattapony
 * Pamunkey Reservation: State, Tribe: Pamunkey

Indian Schools
The Office of Indian Affairs (now the Bureau of Indian Affairs) established a network of schools throughout the United States, beginning with Carlisle Indian School, established in 1879. Some of these schools were day schools, usually focusing on Indian children of a single tribe or reservation. Some were boarding schools which served Indian children from a number of tribes and reservations.

In addition, other groups such as various church denominations established schools specifically focusing on American Indian children. (read more...)

The following list of Indian Schools in Virginia has been compiled from Hill's Office of Indian Affairs..., Hill's Guide to Records in the National Archives Relating to American Indians , and others.


 * Hampton Institute

Other Repositories

 * John Hopkins University
 * American Indians in Virginia are sometimes listed in the court order books.

See Also


 * Virginia-Military records for a list of forts
 * Virginia-History for a calendar of events

Important Websites

 * Virginia Council on Indians listing of state recognized tribes.
 * Dozens of articles about the history of American Indians in Virginia can be found by using the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI).