The Fones Cliff is the ancestral home of the tribe, located on the east side of the Rappahannock River in Virginia. The site, located within the Rappahannock National Wildlife Refuge, will be publicly accessible and trusted by the Office of Indian Affairs. The Tribe plans to educate the public about its history by making a replica of the 16th century village and expanding the “Back to the River” program, which trains the Tribe’s youth in traditional river knowledge and practices. “The Department is honored to participate in the Rappahannock Tribe to co-organize this section of their ancestral homeland. We look forward to harnessing the tribe’s know-how and indigenous knowledge to help manage the area’s wildlife and habitat,” he said. Secretary Haaland in the statement. “This historic recovery underscores the way in which Tribes, private landowners and other stakeholders play a central role in the work of this Administration to ensure that our conservation efforts are guided locally and support the health and well-being of communities. “ The rocks play a central role in the history of the tribe. In 1608, the tribe met for the first time and defended its homeland against English settler Captain John Smith, who played a key role in America’s first permanent English settlement in Jamestown, Virginia. In the 1660s, the tribe began to be forcibly displaced from their homeland on the Rappahannock River by the British, according to the Chesapeake Conservancy. In addition to their cultural and historical significance for the breed, the rocks are also vital to wildlife: The site is home to one of the largest bald eagle nest populations on the Atlantic coast, according to the Home Office. The reclaiming of her land by the tribe was made possible by the family of William Dodge Angle, who provided the necessary funds to buy the 465-acre Chesapeake Conservancy and donate the title to the Rappahannock Tribe. Additional funding also came from a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation through Walmart’s Acres for America Program, according to Conservancy. The takeover follows a growing movement of natives struggling to reclaim their land. In 2019, the Wiyot tribe successfully reclaimed their ancestral homeland, Duluwat Island off the north coast of California after more than a century of displacement. And earlier this year, more than 500 acres of California forests were returned to a group of Native American tribes.
