L-R Emily Purcell (Ducks Unlimted), Roger Fawcett (Suffolk City Council), John Rector (Suffolk City Council) Nikki Bass (Nansemond Indian Nation), Shelley Butler Barlow (Suffolk City Council) Dave Henneman (Nansemond Indian Nation), Delegate Nadarius Clark
SUFFOLK, VA Aug. 20, 2024—Last week, the Nansemond Indian Nation regained ownership of 71 acres of its ancestral homelands, a significant milestone for the Nation and the national Land Back Movement, which aims to return ownership of Native lands to Native peoples.
The site, known as Mattanock is located on the banks of the Nansemond River in Suffolk, Virginia. It is considered the cultural heart of the Nation, and the Nansemond Nation has sought to regain ownership of the land for over thirty years.
Years of back-and-forth negotiations with the City of Suffolk had put the ownership of Mattanock into question. On May 15, 2024, Suffolk City Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding, allowing the property to be transferred back to the Nation.
“The steadfast efforts of the Nation’s leaders over the course of nearly 40 years paid off,” said Katherine Sorrell, an attorney with Cultural Heritage Partners, the law firm representing the Nation as General Counsel. “Since the arrival of English colonists, native tribes in Virginia have faced systematic erasure and the loss of their land. Regaining Mattanock is a significant step in turning that tide, allowing a sovereign, federally recognized Nation the authority to govern its own territory and apply Indigenous knowledge to preserving that land for generations to come. It is very exciting to see this new chapter begin and for a renewed, positive relationship between the Nansemond tribal community and the City of Suffolk to develop.”
Tribal Council Vice Chair Nikki Bass expressed her gratitude, stating, “I am thankful to every single person who brought us to this moment, including all of our ancestors and all of our community partners. This is a group success, and it will continue to be a growing group success into the future.”
Protecting this historic landscape forever, the Nation also partnered with Ducks Unlimited (DU) to execute a conservation easement that ensures future generations of the Nansemond Indian Nation will have the opportunity to reconnect with the land and enjoy this iconic area in the Atlantic Flyway. “Working with the Nansemond Indian Nation’s tribal leadership on this conservation easement has been very meaningful not only for the Nation but also for DU, as it will protect the cultural and environmental benefits of this important landscape for both wildlife and people forever,” said Ducks Unlimited’s Director of Conservation Programs, Emily Purcell. “Knowing that the land will help foster the next generation of conservation-minded people is a win for everyone.”
In addition to Mattanock, DU assisted with the precedent-setting 2022 land transfer of 500 acres of ancestral land, Cross Swamp. Thanks in part to these two actions, the Nation now has land on both sides of the river to steward its conservation legacy and protect the land and waterways that lie at the heart of its cultural heritage.
Nansemond ancestors have lived along the banks of the Nansemond River for thousands of years, and Mattanock is already home to the Nation’s tribal headquarters and annual pow-wow. Now, the Nation will focus on conservation efforts and education programs at the site. These plans align with the City’s goal of increasing public visitors' access to the Nansemond River and establishing Suffolk as a destination for eco-tourism.
Cultural Heritage Partners provided the legal services in support of this milestone achievement for the Nansemond Indian Nation, ensuring the rightful ownership of its ancestral lands.
About the Nansemond Indian Nation
The Nansemond Indian Nation is a federally recognized sovereign Native American Tribe dedicated to the betterment of its citizens and the broader non-Tribal communities in which they live, including the Virginia communities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, and Isle of Wight County.
About Ducks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing wetlands, grasslands and other waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has restored or protected more than 18 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science, DU’s projects benefit waterfowl, wildlife and people in all 50 states. DU is growing its mission through a historic $3 billion Conservation For A Continent comprehensive campaign. Learn more at www.ducks.org.
