Tribal Truths
David Seidel
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Native communities in Virginia have listened to others tell our stories. Now it's our turn. We're debunking myths and legends with fact, teaching about tribal cultures and current issues. This is Tribal Truths.
The pilot episode was produced with financial support from Virginia Humanities.
Available episodes
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2 days ago
Monacan Indian Nation: Saving Rassawek – How historical racism is still with us
This is a complicated story of a history of white supremacy that tried to erase Indigenuity in Amherst County and how that carries forward today as Tribes in Virginia are left out of the permitting and decision process for development and other land disturbing uses throughout the state that affect ancestral lands and remains.This episode was made possible by a grant from Virginia Humanities.And a content warning: There are stories of trauma and racial slurs in this episode.
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May 25, 2023
Nansemond Indian Nation: Looking for Ancestors in the Great Dismal Swamp
The Nansemond Indian Nation has a deep connection to the Great Dismal Swamp. Oral histories date back to the late 1800s but then disappear from colonial pressures to assimilate. Still, tribal members who grew up by the Swamp maintain ancestral hunting and trapping traditions. But there is someone who has discovered ancient Indigenous artifacts in the Great Dismal Swamp, some dating back 8,000 years.
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May 18, 2023
Mattaponi Tribe: An ancient tradition is threatened by the loss of the American shad
Calvin and Mac Custalow take their niece, Dawn Custalow, fishing on the Mattaponi River at their reservation. The traditional Easter Sunday service breakfast of shad and shad roe now relies on other fish as the American shad continues to puzzle scientists as to what is causing its decline.
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May 11, 2023
New Season Coming Soon
The new season of Tribal Truths starts May 18th.
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Apr 6, 2022
Rappahannock Tribe takes ownership of ancestral town on Fones Cliffs
Nearly 400 years after the Rappahannock Tribe was forced from their lands, they will finally return as owners to one of their towns on Fones Cliffs.Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, herself a member of the Pueblo Laguna Tribe, spoke during the ceremony.
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Jan 21, 2022
Ancient cliffs are revealing lost tribal histories
There's a place along the Rappahannock River in eastern Virginia, not far from the Chesapeake Bay, where the Rappahannock Tribe once lived along the copper-white cliffs that rise vertically from the river. The tribe has a deep connection to this place, now known as Fones Cliffs. Rappahannock Chief Anne Richardson and a team of archaeologists are bringing history to the surface, but it's a race against time, development and climate change.Narrated by Steven Nelson, a citizen of the Rappahannock Tribe.This episode was produced with support from Virginia Humanities.
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