RD96 - Virginia Council on Indians Findings and Recommendations from 2005


    Executive Summary:
    1) The Governor should issue a statement regarding the hardships inflicted on Virginia’s indigenous peoples and acknowledge the inherent wrong in this treatment, with particular mention of the state’s past involvement in the eugenics movement as well as Native marginalization in general. A useful precedent was set by Kevin Gover of the BIA, which stated “we cannot yet ask your forgiveness” while the burden of history still weighs heavily on the Indian peoples of today.

    2) Mandate inclusion of Virginia Indians on SOL Review Committees and revision of SOLs to include more extensive, accurate and culturally sensitive information on Virginia Indian history and cultures, stressing intellectual honesty in presenting both positive and shameful episodes of the past (i.e., eugenics).

    3) Strengthen existing partnership efforts at Virginia Tech, William & Mary, and UVA by providing funding for tenured faculty and administrative positions in American Indian Studies and related subjects. State universities should be encouraged to hire American Indian faculty members whenever possible for these positions, to correct the imbalance that currently exists. Additional funds should be sought for Visiting Scholars in these fields.

    4) Address a history of racial inequality in higher education by providing tuition waivers to land-grant and state-funded universities for tribally enrolled American Indians who are Virginia residents, to at least the same extent as the “massive resistance” initiative for African Americans.

    5) Consider purchase of land for state parks and land conservation easements near centers of state-recognized tribal populations.

    6) Dedicate a Governor’s office Summer Internship to the Virginia Indian Heritage Trail for assistance with research.

    7) Assist the eight state-recognized tribes in developing a relationship with the Smithsonian to identify and return “culturally unidentified” or “culturally unaffiliated” human remains that should be repatriated to Virginia.

    8) Include Virginia Indian representatives on state Boards, not limited to but including Education, and Boards of Visitors of state-supported universities.