Mark Custalow News Today

An interfaith prayer service was held near the Bell Tower at Capitol Square on Monday morning to honor and celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Bells from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church echoed throughout downtown Richmond to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday.

“Our goal is to unite our tribal families,” said Connie “Crow Woman” Custalow.

Two factions within the Mattaponi Indian Tribe are fighting for leadership, which could put the tribe's quest for federal recognition at risk.

Late last month, members of the Mattaponi Indian Tribe held elections for a new chief and tribal council. The incumbent government, however, says the election was illegitimate. Ultimately, Gov. Glenn Youngkin's administration will determine who the state will recognize.

Those who have part African American lineage are barred from membership, protesters claim.

Each year the Pamunkey and Mattaponi, two Native American tribes in Virginia, fulfill a legal obligation that has become a Thanksgiving fixture. Wednesday, two deer were laid out on the ground in the garden of the Governor’s Mansion.

The Daily Newscast