WILLIAMSBURG - As Virginians celebrate America’s 400th anniversary, members of the commonwealth’s eight recognized Indian tribes are also commemorating their four centuries of survival.

On October 5, more than 200 people gathered at a Williamsburg conference center for a daylong educational symposium about Indian culture and history, and the ongoing fight for tribal self-determination.

The conference is part of a three-day event that also will take participants to tribal centers throughout the commonwealth, including the Monacan Indian Nation’s annual homecoming celebration in Amherst County on Saturday. The event is part of the larger Jamestown 2007 celebration of the first successful English colony on American soil.

Karen Wood, a member of the Monacan Indian Nation who lives in Charles City, was part of the committee that organized the three-day event. She said it is important that Virginia Indians are given the opportunity to tell their own story of Western colonization, since that platform was denied in the past.

“For far too long we’ve been represented by non-native people with Ph.D.s who claim to know more about our history than we do,“ said Wood. “Our elders deserve a voice.“

The conference brought together a range of Indian academic, legal and tribal leaders, as well as non-Indian educators and archeologists.

Many of the lecturers addressed Native Americans’ struggle for tribal sovereignty and recognition by the U.S. government.

None of the eight tribes recognized by Virginia have received federal recognition. Speakers talked about the unrealistic and expensive hurdles preventing many tribes from obtaining the sought-after status. For example, it can cost millions of dollars and years of work to assemble the required documents that prove the community has remained in tact for 400 years.

“You have to conclude that that process is in desperate need of an overhaul,“ said Arlinda Lochlear, an attorney and a member of the Lumbee Tribe in North Carolina.

She said tribes often choose to work with state and local governments to gain rights outside of the federal system.

“Our primary goal is to not loose any more ground, whether in the courts or in Congress.“

Speakers rallied the audience to work in proactive ways to set the state and national agenda about Indian affairs. Some spoke of drafting tribal constitutions, conducting thorough demographic surveys of their people and creating alliances with non-Indian political leaders.

Herb Hicks, a Forest resident and a member of the Monacan Indian Nation, said Thursday’s event sparked collaboration among the area Indians and offered a new opportunity to teach Virginians about the struggles, strengths and history of the state’s native peoples.

“I’m looking at it as a positive because some of the general public is here and they are not aware of some of the issues Native Americans are dealing with in today’s society,“ Hicks said. “A lot of dominant society stereotypes Native Americans as getting these fat checks from the casinos and that’s a minority.“

Instead, the conference addressed more widespread realities, such as inequities in educational opportunities and access to health care, as well as poverty and substance abuse.

While many of the speakers spoke of historic and ongoing struggles, the conference maintained a hopeful tone.

Chief Kenneth Adams of the Upper Mattoponi Tribe opened the event saying the conference marked a high note in Indian history.

“The eight state-recognized tribes understand the significance of this moment and the significance of this time in history,“ Adams said.

“In this room today are descendents of those standing on the shore as those ships came in.“

Goldstein is a staff writer for The News & Advance in Lynchburg.