Lannan Foundation

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Mattaponi Heritage Foundation, West Point, VA

The Mattaponi Heritage Foundation was established in December 1995, although the tribe inhabits one of the two oldest reservations in the nation. Non-federally recognized, but state recognized, the tribe traces its history back to Chief Powhatan, father of Pocahontas, who ruled most of Tidewater Virginia when Europeans arrived in 1607. The reservation encompasses 150 acres in King William County, Virginia, near Richmond. The reservation today sits on the banks of the Mattaponi River, one of the last pristine rivers in the eastern United States.

The tribe is currently trying to stop the construction of a reservoir in King William County, adjacent to the reservation. 

The proposed reservoir, planned by the city of Newport News, would flood more than 1,500 acres of land and destroy more than 500 acres of wetlands. The reservoir is opposed by the tribe because it would irrevocably damage the Mattaponi ecosystem and cause substantial harm to fishing, hunting, and gathering as well as living conditions. In the past year, the tribe has embarked on an aggressive campaign to block issuance of permits, licenses, and certification of various components necessary for the construction of the reservoir.