RICHMOND

The 306th annual Spotswood Treaty Tribute to the Virginia Governor was recently presented by members of the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indian Tribe.

This tribe was the last one in Virginia to get a treaty with the Crown of England/Britain via Virginia’s Provisional Lt. Gov. Alexander Spotswood and the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Indian’s King/Chief Ouracoorass Teerheer, aka William Edmund, as called by the Colonials. The document was signed on Feb. 27, 1713.

Most recently, the treaty was presented to the governor on St. George’s Day. The tribute is made of three peace arrows wrapped in a beaver pelt with a wampum belt.

This was presented to the governor in front of the Native American Memorial — the Mantel —on the Capital Grounds in Richmond. From left to right are Tommy Hines; War Chief William Lamb Howell; Vice Chief Ellis Wright; Chief Walt Red Hawk Brown; Gov. Ralph Northam; Vashti Clarke; Beverly El; Karen Barrett; Mary Francis Wilkerson; Stephenie Brown-Valderrama; and Commonwealth Secretary Kelly Thomasson.