New Virginia Indian Exhibits Installed in the State Capitol

[Dora May Henaire]

Two museum exhibits from the Virginia Indian Heritage Program, a part of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, are now installed in the exhibit area and lower hall of the State Capitol. The exhibits are “Beyond Jamestown: Virginia Indians Yesterday and Today”, and “Family Portraits: Virginia Indians at the Turn of the 20th Century”. Presented in partnership with the Capitol Square Preservation Council, the Virginia Senate Clerk’s office, and the Virginia House Clerk’s office, both exhibits are expected to be in the State Capitol until the end of December 2009. Please come and enjoy these exhibits on your next trip to the Capitol area.As most of you know, in 2007 the General Assembly allotted funds to begin the Virginia Indian Heritage Program at the VFH. Since then the program has produced the Virginia Indian Heritage Trail book, helped with additional material about Virginia Indians in Virginia’s SOL review, held teachers’ institutes for Virginia’s public school teachers, developed teacher materials, and provided consultation to Virginia museums and public institutions. Funding challenges due to state budget cuts currently threaten the program, which is seeking support from public and private sources at this time.
Thanks to the support of the Governor, the General Assembly, the Virginia Tourism Corporation, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Jamestown 2007, the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, the Virginia tribes, and the Virginia Council on Indians, Virginia Indians are beginning to fill in the gaps in those Virginia textbooks with the rich stories of our people and their contributions to the Commonwealth.
Please stop by and take a look, so you can provide feedback, tell your family and tribal members and friends, and give them some significant value added to their tours of Virginia’s historic State Capitol. The Capitol is open to the public daily, 9 AM to 4 PM, and it’s free. If you have questions about the exhibit, please contact Virginia Indian Heritage Program Director Karenne Wood , [e-mail], or telephone [phone].
Distributed by:

Virginia Council on Indians
Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 1475
Richmond, VA 23218
804.225.2084
804.225.2585 (FAX)
http://indians.vipnet.org
on behalf of the Virginia Indian Heritage

By Gina Boltz