The Pamunkey Indian tribe celebrated their official federal recognition on May 28 at the Pamunkey Museum, on the tribe's reservation. Tribe members, Sheriff Jeff Walton, District 5 Supervisor Bob Ehrhart and a governor's office representative attended the ceremony. Tribe members learned in late January that the Interior Board of Indian Appeals denied a challenge from a California-based anti-gaming group, Stand Up For California, allowing the Pamunkey to clear a final hurdle to receive federal recognition. The Pamunkey tribe, which claims tribal connections to Pocahontas, is the first Indian tribe in Virginia to be federally recognized, and the 567th in the country. With this recognition, the tribe will be eligible for services and assistance with housing, education and health care. The tribe currently has 235 members across the country.

(Courtesy of Gene Campbell)