We, the undersigned, pledge our support to petition the U.S. National Park Service to draft new language for the historical marker at First Landing Beach at Cape Henry, site where the Jamestown Colony settlers first touched shore in 1607. Many of us learn history informally by visiting such sites and historical markers play a key role in educating the general public about our past. Therefore, it is crucial we make available, here and elsewhere, a narrative that is both accurate and inclusive. The current marker at Cape Henry offers an interpretation of the first landing that is heavily biased toward colonial perceptions, failing to take into account the presence of over 20,000 Natives belonging to dozens of tribes and villages in this region and the contributions of these tribes to the overall survival and well-being of the colony. 

Reductively referred to as “Indians,” Virginia’s indigenous inhabitants receive only a single mention on the current marker, in a context that emphasizes their presumed violent nature. The land itself, known to the Natives as Tsenacomoco, is described as a “vast American wilderness,” a characterization that has the effect of diminishing indigenous presence, negating indigenous title to the land, and reducing indigenous identity to a state of primitive savagery. In truth, the inhabitants of Tsenacomoco were civilized cultivators and curators of the land who largely welcomed the Jamestown settlers with hospitality and diplomacy. Although the purpose of the marker is to celebrate a moment that remains a central component to the origin story of the United States, this story should nevertheless be told in a manner that accurately observes and honors the original inhabitants of this land. The harmful portrayal of Virginia’s indigenous peoples should not stand. The historical narrative forwarded must be respectful of all lives and cultures, and the continued presence of Native peoples on the land should be acknowledged and honored. 

                                                    SIGN NOW

                                                        and/or      

     see our website for full statement and proposed language for historical marker

                                         This Is Tsenacomoco