Mattaponi
The Mattaponi are a Native American tribe located in Virginia, specifically within the larger cultural area of the Northeast. They are part of the Algonquian language group and have a rich heritage that reflects their historical significance in the region. As of 2024, the population of the Mattaponi Indian Tribe and its reservation is approximately 450 individuals. The Mattaponi have maintained their cultural practices, traditions, and language despite historical pressures and changes. Their community is deeply connected to the land and the waterways, which play a significant role in their cultural identity and livelihood. The tribe actively engages in preserving their history and traditions while navigating contemporary challenges. Understanding the Mattaponi offers insight into the resilience of Indigenous cultures in the face of societal changes.
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Mattaponi
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: Northeast
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Algonquian
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Virginia
- POPULATION SIZE: 450 (2024 Mattaponi Indian Tribe and Reservation)
The Mattaponi, a small Indigenous nation of the Algonquian language family, lived on the river of the same name in Virginia. Along with other nations, they were members of the Powhatan Confederacy. In 1608, the British explorer John Smith visited their village and found about one hundred members. He included the nation, which he spelled Mattapaníent, on his map of the area. In 1781, Thomas Jefferson visited the Mattaponi, recording the visit in his Notes on Virginia (1825). They were closely related to the Pamunkey, another Powhatan tribe. By 1900, the Mattaponi and Pamunkey lived side by side on reservations, intermarrying freely but maintaining continuity as nations, as they had for more than three hundred years.
In the twentieth century, a small number of people—probably all of mixed blood—still claimed the name Mattaponi. They worked at hunting, trapping, and fishing, although state game laws now forbade several traditional methods. The state of Virginia funded a shad hatchery on the Mattaponi Reservation, which was run by the American Indians. Women still made honeysuckle-stem baskets in the late twentieth century, and the tribe was run by an elected chief and his council of elders. Most Mattaponi were Baptists and attended the Mattaponi Indian Baptist Church, established in 1931. The reservation school was closed by the state in 1966, causing some concern at the time that traditional ways would not be passed to the next generation. The reservation operates the Hatchery and Marine Science Facility, which provides the opportunity to teach and practice traditional fishing and hatching techniques. The Mattaponi remain committed to keeping their culture and traditions alive yet adapting to life in the modern world.
In the mid-2020s, the Mattaponi Nation experienced internal issues regarding leadership and governance. The disagreements extended to membership issues and election procedures. These issues led a faction of the Mattaponi to break away and hold elections different from the traditional Mattaponi Nation leadership in 2022. Still, in 2023, the Mattaponi Nation drafted its first Constitution with the hopes of eventually achieving federal recognition. The nation remained committed to practicing natural resource management.
Bibliography
"About Us - The Mattaponi." Mattaponi Indian Tribe & Reservation, mattaponi.gov/about-mattaponi. Accessed 26 Oct. 2024.
Custalow, Linwood, and Angela L Daniel. The True Story of Pocahontas: The Other Side of History—From the Sacred History of the Mattaponi Reservation People. Fulcrum, 2007.
Gwathmey, John H. "The Mattaponi." Virginia Wildlife, vol. 12, no. 2, 1951, pp. 18–20.
"History of the Mattaponi." Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia, www.commonwealth.virginia.gov/virginia-indians/state-recognized-tribes/mattaponi-tribe-/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2024.
"Mattaponi History." Mattaponi Indian Tribe & Reservation, mattaponi.gov/mattaponi-history. Accessed 26 Oct. 2024.
"Mattaponi Tribe." Encyclopedia Virginia, 7 Dec. 2020, encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/mattaponi-tribe. Accessed 26 Oct. 2024.
Scribner, Alex. "After a Year of Public Feuding, Mattaponi Tribal Conflict Comes to a Head." VPM, 5 Apr. 2022, www.vpm.org/news/2022-04-05/after-a-year-of-public-feuding-mattaponi-tribal-conflict-comes-to-a-head. Accessed 26 Oct. 2024.
Waugaman, Sandra F., and Danielle Moretti-Langholtz. We're Still Here: Contemporary Virginia Indians Tell Their Stories. Palari Publishing, 2000.