Annual Nansemond Indian Pow Wow held in Suffolk, marking the 34th year of celebration

The annual Nansemond Indian Pow Wow was held in Suffolk on August 20 and 21. This year marked the event’s 34th year of celebration.

The descendants of the Nansemond Indian Nation got together with their friends and other people from the area to celebrate their return to the Nansemond River.

The event began in 1988 and represented a full cycle of returning to ancestral land after being forced to leave because of colonialism.

A Native American pow wow is a social event where the primary activities include eating, dancing, and spending time with other people. In Native American culture, it has special significance.

Native Americans who lived in this area of Virginia along the James River belonged to a group known as the Nansemond. They were forced out of their homeland in the 1600s by English colonists.

However, the majority of the community stayed in Norfolk County over the next years, despite the fact that many of its members assimilated to an English lifestyle. Some people even relocated to the state of North Carolina.

The year 1985 was the year when the Commonwealth officially recognized the Nansemond tribe.

Their dedication to educating the community about their history and heritage is shown by the ongoing tradition of holding an annual pow wow.