Virginia Indians Today
Chickahominy Tribe Eastern Division
The Chickahominy Tribe Eastern Division is located 25 miles east of Richmond in New Kent County, Virginia. European contact with the tribal ancestry of the modern day Chickahominy Indians and the Chickahominy Indian Tribe Eastern Division is recorded as early as 1607. They shared a history until the early 1900s, when it was decided by the Eastern Chickahominy to organize their own Tribal Government. This was done because of travel inconvenience to tribal meetings of the Chickahominy in Charles City County.
In 1910, a school was started in New Kent County for the Chickahominy Tribe Eastern Division. Grades 1 through 8 were taught in this one-room school. In 1920-1921 the tribe was formally organized as a separate Tribal Government with E. P Bradby as the Chief. In September 1922 Tsena Commocko Indian Baptist Church was organized. Church services were held in the school building until a church could be built. In 1925, a certificate of incorporation was issued to the Chickahominy Indian Tribe Eastern Division. The tribe presently has 132 members with about 67 members living in Virginia and 65 members living out of state. The tribe is proud of its 26 veterans with service in the Armed Forces since World War I. Today the people of the Tribe enjoy employment in the private sector, working in the areas of technology, nursing, business administration, and privately owned businesses (construction and technology).
The tribe purchased 41.59 acres of land in 2002, becoming one of the last of the eight state recognized tribes in Virginia to own land. Tribal members plan to build a Tribal Center and Museum, where functions could be held for tribal members in an environment of fellowship and interaction with those who come from out of state. The hope to enrich and educate our people and the people of Virginia is a strong drive to move forward. The Tribe currently holds meetings in the Tsena Commocko Baptist Church Fellowship Hall.
State recognized March 25, 1983
Contact Information:
Chief Gene Adkins
Eastern Chickahominy Tribe
3120 Mount Pleasant Road
Providence Forge, VA 23140
Visit their Web site at http://www.cied.org.
