Press Action ::: New Bill To Wipe Out Land Treaties with Virginia Tribes

Monday, December 27, 2004

New Bill To Wipe Out Land Treaties with Virginia Tribes

Mattaponi River There is a New Bill #SB420 being presented for a Vote in the Virginia State Legislature.

This bill attempts to circumvent ongoing litigation, the public regulatory process and decades of scientific and public opposition from both Native and Non-Native Peoples to the King William Reservoir Project. If this bill passes, irreparable harm will be done to Virginia Wetlands, Wildlife and the future of the Mattaponi and Pamunkey Peoples. As well as breaking the Oldest Treaties written with any American Indian Tribes and the Virginia regulatory process itself. This Dam and Reservoir will flood existing Traditional Tribal Lands held Sacred and Protected by Treaty since the First English Settlers arrived.

Below is the Letter I sent to All of Virginia’s State Legislators. I Urge You To Do The Same!

Subject: Mattaponi and the Proposed Building of King William Reservoir

Dear Elected Representative,

The City of Newport News continues to misrepresent the facts on the King William Reservoir issue. After 16 years of effort, the City’s attempts to secure all of the necessary permits have failed. The Institute of Water Studies, and the earlier Phillips and two Spiegle-Muller reports all reach the same conclusion: “Newport News does not need this water”.

Each year, the governors of Virginia publicly accept the tribute of the Mattaponi and Pamunkey Indian Tribes as per their treaty. By doing so, they have acknowledged the treaty as being a valid legal document. In the treaty, the Mattaponi have treaty protected fishing and gathering rights which would be violated by the waterworks. This project threatens the way of life of the Mattaponi Native American population.

A significant part of the area contains many archeological sites important to the Mattaponi and Pamunkey tribes—villages, camping sites, burial grounds and the ISLAND where Chief Opechanacanough lived and ruled for many decades. Those sites of our European ancestors are treated with great respect and concern. The same respect and concern should be granted to these—they are not only a part of the history of the Mattaponi and Pamunkey—but also a great part of the history of the first settlers.

Independent scientists from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and VMRC staff found that the project will jeopardize restoration of the tenuous Chesapeake Bay American shad population. The water intake will be constructed in the most significant breading and rearing areas of the American Shad in the entire state of Virginia. The reservoir will flood populations of threatened plants, such as the federally threatened plant, the small-Whorled Pogonia and the sensitive Joint-Vetch and also flood bald eagle habitat. The need for recreational facilities does not outweigh the loss of plant and animal life indigenous to this area.

The National Research Council reviewed hundreds of mitigation projects and reported many were never even started, others weren’t completed and those that were finished failed 83% of the time. Ohio is just one of many states that have lost 90% of its wetlands. Studies have also concluded that replacement wetlands are NOT equivalent to the natural wetlands they are to substitute for. Again, the need for recreational facilities does not outweigh the loss of plant and animal life indigenous to this area or breaking of Treaties with the Original Peoples of this land.

As a tax-paying citizen of the United States of America I ask the State of Virginia lawmakers set aside the 1500 acres of land the Reservoir would flood along with the 1,089 acres of upland the Reservoir would impact as “State Protected Land” in order to insure the habitat and continuity of all the species found there and ask that the State prevent any future agricultural, residential or reservoir development from ever occurring upon this land.

I also request that the State of Virginia make a permanent arrangement to ensure the protection and observance of the treaty, and to ensure that the fishing and gathering rights of the Mattaponi be observed, honored and protected for ALL TIME. The General Assembly’s chief responsibilities are to represent citizens in the formulation of public policy.

Sincerely,

Thomas Greywolf Atkins
Chickahominy/Mattaponi/U.S.Citizen
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/American_Indian_Injustice