Nansemond
Nansemond Indian Nation | |
|---|---|
|
Seal | |
| Etymology: 'Fishing Point' | |
Nansemond Indian Nation Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 36°50′33.5″N 76°33′30.9″W / 36.842639°N 76.558583°W | |
| State Recognition | February 20, 1985 |
| Federal Recognition | January 29, 2018 |
| Capital | Mattanock Town |
| Government | |
| • Type | Tribal Council |
| • Chief | Keith Anderson |
| • Assistant Chief | Dave Hennaman III |
| Population | |
• Total | 400 |
| Demonym | Nansemond |
| Website | https://nansemond.gov |
The Nansemond are the Indigenous people of the Nansemond River, a 20-mile-long tributary of the James River in Virginia. Nansemond people lived in settlements on both sides of the Nansemond River where they fished (with the name "Nansemond" meaning "fishing point" in Algonquian), harvested oysters, hunted, and farmed in fertile soil. Today, Nansemond people belong to the federally recognized Nansemond Indian Nation.
Gradually pushed off their lands in the colonial and following periods, the Nansemond struggled to maintain their culture. They reorganized in the late 20th century and gained state recognition from Virginia in 1985. They gained federal recognition in 2018 after Congress passed a bill. Many members of the tribe still live on former ancestral lands in Suffolk, Chesapeake, and surrounding cities.