RICHMOND, Va. -- Leaders from the Mattaponi, Pamunkey and other Virginia-based Native American tribes offered their customary Thanksgiving tax tribute during a ceremony Wednesday morning. The ceremony, normally held outside the governor' mansion, was moved to the Patrick Henry Building due to rain.
"Virginia is home to the some of the richest historical beginnings of our nation, and the Mattaponi and Pamunkey Indian Tribes exemplify what it means to be Virginians," Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe said in a statement. "I also would like to recognize the Hunters for the Hungry organization for their exceptional leadership in helping families around the Commonwealth receive quality meals."
The tribute, which marks the signing of a 1677 treaty between Governor Herbert Jeffreys, Esq., and Indian leaders, is considered the oldest continuing nation-to-nation ceremony in the United States. The ceremony, complete with traditional Indian music and dance, also honors American Indian history month.
"In this year’s ceremony, Assistant Chief Mark Custalow [of the Mattaponi Tribe] presented the Governor and First Lady with a pair of handmade earrings, a traditional Indian dancing stick with a turkey claw at the tip and an eight point buck deer. Chief Kevin Brown [of the Pamunkey Tribe] presented them with a handmade necklace and a deer," a spokesman for the governor said.
