As the Mattaponi people seek to rebuild their society in their traditional lands, they are constrained by the diminution of their reservation over the past two centuries. The Reservation today consists of only 150 acres that overlook the Mattaponi River, and much of that land is designated wetlands. Clearly, the people need additional space to realize their dreams.
The Mattaponi Tribal Legacy Plan is designed to further those dreams. The plan calls for the expansion of the Reservation to about one thousand acres. Proposed use of the land includes the following:
| Scientific and cultural tourism along with a renewed interest in Native American culture in general, makes the development of the Mattaponi Indian Reservation a critical component of the broader vision for developing Virginia's Middle Peninsula. Along with Colonial History, historic buildings, river plantations, courthouses, churches, steamship ports-of-call, Native American encampments and Cultural Centers such as the one proposed by the Mattaponi Legacy Plan will do much to attract the kinds of low environmental impact and sustainable economic activity that is desired for the Commonwealth and the people of the Region. | |
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