FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For media inquiries, please contact:
Katherine Sorrell
Attorney at Law
Cultural Heritage Partners, PLLC
(713) 876-0014
katherine@culturalheritagepartners.com
Suffolk, VA – 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 and located on the banks of the Nansemond River in Suffolk, Virginia, is considered the cultural heart of the Nation. The Nansemond Nation has sought to regain ownership of the land for over three decades.
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 that represents 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 their conservation legacy and protect both the land and waterways that lie at the heart of the Nation’s 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 access to the Nansemond River for public visitors 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.
Image: Aerial photo of Mattanock.
Press Coverage:
- Virginia Mercury, “Nansemond Indian Nation aims to heal land, water along their namesake river” by Lauren Hines-Acosta (August 14, 2024).
- Suffolk News Herald, “City of Suffolk returns land to Nansemond Indian Nation” by James W. Robinson (May 20, 2024)
- 13 News Now, “71 acres of land to be returned to Nansemond Indian Nation following Suffolk City Council vote” by Marta Berglund (May 17, 2024)
- Chesapeake Bay Foundation, “Nansemond Indian Nation Regains Ancestral Land From Suffolk.” (May 17, 2024)
- VPM News, “Suffolk to transfer 71 acres of land to Nansemond Indian Nation, settling years of debate” by Katherine Hafner (May 16, 2024)