Returning Ancestral Homeland to the Rappahannock Tribe

In April, Chesapeake Conservancy was a proud partner of the Rappahannock Tribe as it re-acquired 465 acres at Fones Cliffs, a sacred site to the Tribe located on the eastern side of the Rappahannock River in Virginia.  

Prior to contact with the English, the Rappahannock Tribe lived in at least three villages on the cliffs––Wecuppom, Matchopick and Pissacoack. Fones Cliffs is where the Tribe first encountered and defended their homeland against Englishman Captain John Smith during his explorations in 1608. The Rappahannock Tribe and Chesapeake Conservancy are forever grateful to the family of William Dodge Angle, M.D., whose generous private donation made this joyous return to the river possible for the Tribe.  

The land will be publicly accessible and held with a permanent conservation easement conveyed to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Chesapeake Conservancy donated the easement to the USFWS, then donated the fee title to the Rappahannock Tribe, which intends to place the land in trust with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Tribe plans trails and a replica Indigenous village, where tribal members can educate the public about their history and Indigenous approaches to conservation and can connect future generations of Rappahannock youth to tribal traditions and the river that bears their name. 

The land offers opportunities for the Tribe to expand their Return to the River program, which trains tribal youth in traditional river knowledge and practices and conducts outreach and education for other communities interested in the Rappahannock River. Chesapeake Conservancy facilitated the generous donation from Virginia Warner of an acre of land near Fones Cliffs in 2017 for the Tribe to use as a staging area for the program.

“We have worked for many years to restore this sacred place to the Tribe. With eagles being prayer messengers, this area where they gather has always been a place of natural, cultural and spiritual importance.”

-Rappahannock Tribe Chief Anne Richardson

“Through the generosity of the family of William Dodge Angle, M.D., Chesapeake Conservancy is honored to facilitate the return of Fones Cliffs to the Tribe and to partner with them to bring Indigenous-led conservation practices back to the Rappahannock River. This is a significant step forward in the overall goal to save approximately 2,000 acres at Fones Cliffs, a haven for wildlife and waterfowl and one of the most beautiful places in the Chesapeake and, in fact, the world.”

-Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn