The Chickahominy Indian Tribe is a federally recognized tribe based in eastern Virginia. The people have lived in the region for centuries, primarily along the Chickahominy River. Historically, they were farmers, hunters, and fishers, and they played a significant role during early English colonization, including interactions with the Jamestown settlers.

Today, the tribe is centered in Charles City County, where it maintains a strong sense of cultural identity through annual powwows, community events, and preservation of traditions. The Chickahominy Tribe gained federal recognition in 2018 and continues to advocate for Indigenous rights, environmental protection, and cultural education.

Join Tanya Stewart, a citizen of the Chickahominy Indian Tribe and renowned artist, tradition keeper, and educator, to learn of the importance of water and wildlife to the Powhatan Algonquian tribal nations. She showcases Native American artifacts and how the Eastern Woodland Indians would have used them, including deer bone needles and fishing hooks, and pine needle baskets. She also discusses Native life before European contact and how Virginia’s wild places were, and are, integral to their culture, trade, and livelihoods.

“Wingapo! My name is Tanya Stewart and I am a citizen of the Chickahominy Indian Tribe of Virginia. I have been doing Native crafts for over 40 years. Beading, pottery, leather, bark and pine needle bag making have been some of my projects. I have beadwork all over the world, not just in the U.S. but including Canada, Japan and Ireland. I have been representing my tribe for over 20yrs doing cultural outreach and conducting classes and workshops in beading and pine needle basket making. I was Cultural Resources Director the Eastern Chickahominy Tribe and helped to bring the Native culture and crafts back to our people. I enjoy teaching and telling of our Virgina Indian History.“

💧 Why Water Matters to Wild Virginia 💧

In Virginia’s forests, mountains, and lowlands, water is life. It nourishes wildlife, shapes entire ecosystems, and connects us all—from the trickle of mountain springs to the powerful James and Shenandoah Rivers.

At Wild Virginia, we fight to protect clean water across the Commonwealth—by standing up to polluters, defending wild headwaters, and giving nature a voice in legislative halls. But we can’t do it without you.

This summer, help us keep Virginia’s waters wild and clean.
Your donation supports boots-on-the-ground action, policy advocacy, and community engagement that defends what matters most.

☀️ Make a splash this summer—donate to protect Virginia’s waters.