Summit explores judicial aspects of Virginia’s tribal nations

By Haley Tenore

As she welcomed her audience in James Branch Cabell Library, Chief Justice Melissa Holds the Enemy made clear that they weren't simply in the lecture hall. They were in Indian Country, which forms wherever Native people gather.

"Today is more than a conference," the Upper Mattaponi judicial leader said. "It's a gathering of nations of knowledge and of shared purpose. And as tribal nations, we're not creating something new. We are reclaiming and strengthening what has already belonged to us."

Part of ongoing efforts to recognize and engage with Virginia's Indigenous communities, Virginia Commonwealth University hosted the second annual Judicial Summit for the Tribal Nations of Virginia on July 10. Presented by the Upper Mattaponi Tribe and VCU's Humanities Research Center, the event brought together tribal leaders, judges, attorneys, advocates, educators and community members from Virginia tribal nations to discuss the future of Indigenous justice systems grounded in Native values, healing-centered leadership, sovereignty and community wellness.

The summit is connected to VCU's On Native Ground initiative at the HRC that highlights Indigenous histories and builds collaborations with tribal nations. The university approved a land acknowledgement that recognizes the centrality of Indigenous peoples, their contributions and their ongoing presence on the land VCU calls home, and which commits to learning more about VA tribes.

The daylong summit featured sessions that highlighted the perspective of tribal leaders and explored Indigenous concepts of justice, tribal constitutions, judicial branches and court systems. One panel assembled four tribal chiefs - Frank Adams (Upper Mattaponi), Stephen R. Adkins (Chickahominy), Ann Richardson (Rappahannock) and Kevin Brown (Pamunkey) ­- while another featured Upper Mattaponi judicial leader Holds the Enemy and associate justices Jack Trope and Brian Cameron.

A panel discussion featured tribal chiefs Kevin Brown (Pamunkey), Stephen R. Adkins (Chickahominy), Frank Adams (Upper Mattaponi) and Ann Richardson (Rappahannock). (Jake Burns, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

In a presentation focusing on concepts of justice, University of Richmond leadership studies professor David Wilkins, Ph.D., a citizen of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, discussed differences between Native and European-based systems.

"Indigenous justice was based on the recognition that blood and friendship were more influential than reason. They established rules whereby people had responsibilities toward family members," he said. "European-based justice has been described as 'I have rights.' Our people held a deeply important view: We have obligations - we have responsibilities. That's a very different mindset, and it's critical to our continued evolution as Native societies."

Wilkins said he hopes tribal justice systems remain rooted in good-faith leadership and free, informed consent - noting that Native systems have foundations that were established centuries before European settlers arrived in North America.

In the panel of tribal leaders, Upper Mattaponi Chief Adams emphasized that Native tribes can think and operate differently, and should not be viewed as a monolithic group. Value, customs and traditions can vary, even as many tribes and individuals share similar stories - with determination being a common theme.

"The story of the Virginia tribes is an amazing story of our survival," Rappahannock Chief Richmond said. "And for our tribe, from early on, we have been fighters for justice for our people and rights for our people. And when we became federally recognized in 2018, we've been building our tribal government."

The summit opened with remarks from Humanities Research Center Director Cristina Stanciu, Ph.D., and VCU Provost Arturo Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., and it included a statement from Candi Mundon King, secretary of the commonwealth, on behalf of Gov. Abigail Spanberger.

"The governor believes deeply in the sovereignty of our tribal nations and is committed to being a partner and to listening as much as she leads," Mundon King said, "because we feel that's something that has definitely been missing."

The second annual Judicial Summit for the Tribal Nations of Virginia brought together tribal leaders, judges, attorneys, advocates, educators and community members from Virginia tribal nations. (Jake Burns, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)