NEWPORT NEWS — It took eight years for the Virginia General Assembly to officially recognize the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Tribe, but tribal leaders say the American Indian tribe has existed for hundreds of years."It's like they're saying that, 'Yeah, we recognize you are who you say you are,'" Chief Walt "Red Hawk" Brown, said of the March 14 recognition. "But we've always been a tribe."Brown said the Southampton County tribe, which has about 15 members in the Denbigh area of Newport News, is documented back to 1580, but probably existed for hundreds of years before that.The tribe now has 272 members, and they host a pow wow at the Southampton County Fairgrounds every summer.Brown said the tribe recently purchased 100 acres in Southampton County, where it intends to build a museum and replicas of tribal longhouses. He said he's also working to preserve the tribal language.The Cheroenhaka endured a lengthy, twisting path to state recognition, which Brown said means that the tribe can stamp its crafts with the tribal name, start partnerships with schools promoting Native American history, and acquire more financial aid for college students. The tribe will now seek federal recognition, which would bring more benefits, he said.But Brown said the most important reason for recognition is to preserve the "tradition, culture and history" of the tribe, whose name is pronounced cher-en-ho-kee.In traditional regalia Wednesday, Lila "Spirit Heart" Hedgepeth, of Denbigh, wore a black flowing dress with turkey feathers sticking out of her headdress. She gripped a cypress tree staff decorated with a deer antler."You don't see us running around half-naked like you do on television," Hedgepeth said, explaining that tradition dictates that for females the dress should cover most of the body.In 1705 the tribe owned 41,000 acres in Southampton County, Brown said, but as the tribe-owned acreage dwindled over time, members of the tribe dispersed, some to Newport News.Hedgepeth said it's "impossible" to know when some members of the tribe moved. "They're still finding arrowheads in Newport News Park," he said.Brown said there's lots of written history of the tribe, including a 1608 account by settlers of the Jamestowncolony referring to the tribe as the "people at the fork of the stream."Bernard "Firewalker" Hedgepeth, Lila's husband, said he's happy for the state recognition."To me, it's validating our long history and existence," said Hedgepeth, whose children and grandchildren are carrying on the tradition. "We're still here."
Tribal history
For information on the Cheroenhaka and details on a July 24-25 pow wow at the Southampton County Fair Grounds: www.cheroenhaka-nottoway.org