INDIAN NECK, Va. (WRIC) — The Rappahannock Tribe announced Friday afternoon, during an event near Chance, Va., that they have reacquired 465 acres at Fones Cliffs.
This site, located on the eastern side of the Rapphannock River, is sacred to the tribe.
According to a press release, the land was purchased by the Cheasapeake Conservancy, “through the generosity of the family of William Dodge Angle, M.D., and with support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation through a grant from Walmart’s Acres for America Program.”
The Chesapeake Conservancy donated the fee title to the Rapphannock Tribe, which intends to place the parcel in trust with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The land will be held with a permanent conservation easement provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It will be accessible to the public.
The tribe plans to make trails and a replica 16th-century village on the site. These will be used by tribal members to educate the public about their history, as well as indigenous approaches to conservation. They hope to connect future generations of Rapphannock youth with their traditions and the river which bears their name.
