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Well, as Chief of The United Cherokee Indian Tribe of Virginia, Inc. I say "remember, research and pass on your history to your friends, neighbors, and especially your family members".
By keeping the rich TRUTH going, we are able to preserve our rich history and the Tribe's Continuation.
If I, or any member of my council can be of any assistance to you, please feel free to contact me by phone, fax or e - mail.
UCITOVA
P.O. Box 1104
Madison Heights, VA
24572
Phone: (434) - 847- 4104
Fax: (434)- 847 - 3200
Email: ucitova@aol.com
Thank You
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UCITOVA means coming home to a great awakening. Our people have had to hide and deny who we really are. But now the Buffalo Ridge Cherokees have risen.
Name: James W. Wood
Tribal name: Buffalo Man
Position: Vice Chief
Employment: Retired from BWXT 31 years service
Statement: "UCITOVA is important to me because it enables me to substantiate my Native American heritage. I can trace my ancestry back to a time before the County I live in was established."
Name: Shelby W. Penn
Tribal name: Quiet Fire
Position: Secretary
Occupation: Registered Nurse
Statement: The United Cherokee Indian Tribe of Virginia, Inc. is important to me because it represents a giant step towards unveiling an essential historical fact that has been buried far too long. UCITOVA allows us to come together boldly proclaiming the quietly spoken words of our ancestors, while pursuing our ultimate goals of documentation and tribal recognition.
Name: Jessica N. Penn
Tribal name: Lioness
Position: Assistant Secretary
Occupation: Child Protective Services Investigator
The United Cherokee Indian Tribe of Virginia, Inc. allows me to know and understand another part of my heritage. Years of silence have allowed people to think that we donot exist, but I know the truth. We are here and strong.
"I am proud to be a member of UCITOVA. Working with the tribe has given me an opportunity to learn more about my heritage and educate our youth about where they come from."
Name: Kenneth M. Penn, Sr.
Tribal name: Red Man
Position: Assistant Treasurer
Occupation: Quality Assurance Technician
Statement: My vision for UCITOVA is to educate the public of the importance of Native Americans. The Government feels that a woodpecker, that may be Extinct, is more important than Native Americans.
Name: Chris Anderson, Sr.
Tribal name: Rock
Chaplin
Occupation: Restaurant Entrepreneur
Statement: The United Cherokee Indian Tribe of Virginia, Inc., is a very important part of my life. Being a member connects me to my family’s past, brings me close to other members of my family here in the present, and insures that my present here on Earth will be represented in the future.
Name: Ollie Spencer, Sr.
Tribal name: Thundercloud
Position: Tribal Council Member
Occupation: Retired Airport Electrician, 37 years Federal Government
Statement: To me UCITOVA means coming home to a great awakening. Our people have had hide and deny who were really are. But now Buffalo Ridge Cherokees have risen.
Name: Phyllis S. Thompson
Indian name: Night Hawk
Position: Tribal Council Member
Occupation: Supervisor VDOT
Unity, standing together, FAMILY, teaching, learning, understanding your heritage and where you come from. Helping one another. Having pride in yourself, but not being to proud. Humbling yourself. Caring for others. Being there when someone needs a listening ear. Patience.
Name: Blondie Ferguson Anderson
Tribal name: Blue Bird
Position: Tribal Council member
Occupation: Retired GE, Ericsson, SCI Systems - 34 years service
Statement: The tribe is important to me because we are all one big family dating back to the 1700s.
Name: Bernetta Chambers-Pinn
Tribal name: Red Bear
Position: Tribal Council Member
Occupation: Kindergarten Teacher
Statement: I am very proud to be a member of UCITOVA. By being a member, I am giving honor to those who have gone on before me. I love sharing my Cherokee heritage with everyone I meet.
Name: Elizabeth M. Jones
Tribal name: Sweet Pea
Position: Tribal Council Member
Occupation: Retired Social Security Administration - 31 years service
Statement: UCITOVA is a Cherokee tribe of which I am proud to be a member. I am able to appreciate my ancestry and Native American heritage.
The tribe is important to me because, through involvement and research, I can document my roots back seven generations.
Name: Horace Rice
Tribal name:Praying Mantis
Position: Historian
Occupation:College Administrator
Phone: (434) - 847- 4104
Fax: (434) - 847 - 3200
Click here to email us.
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Oral history that has been passed down from generation to generation states members of The United Cherokee Indian Tribe of Virginia, Inc. are of American Indian ancestry. As Cherokees from the Ridge in Amherst County and Stonewall Mill in Appomattox County united, they became known as The United Cherokee Indian Tribe of Virginia, Inc. Our Native American ancestors were survivors. They blended into the rural surrounding by becoming successful farmers, carpenters, military minutemen - Revolutionary War soldiers, skilled and semi - skilled professionals. They dressed like others so as not to draw undue attention. To some, they were " White "; to some they were Colored”. Very few were informed of their true identity, “Cherokee Indian.” In fact, the secret has been so well kept, that we now have to delve into numerous Court and vital statistic records, and archives to provide evidence of our ancestry.
Like our ancestors, we are proud, hardworking, skilled professional citizens. The present descendants have generally continued those vocational trends. Today the community has Physicians, Nurses, Teachers, Pharmacists, Anesthesiologists, Building Contractors, Attorneys, and a host of other skilled and professional positions.
Buffalo Ridge families realized there was a weakening of the tribal community. Family reunions and gatherings were not sufficient to pass on tribal beliefs and traditions. Therefore, a formal organization was formed to retain their cultural heritage. Since the inception of the United Cherokee Indian Tribe of Virginia, our members have increased their activates in the County community, with projects such as Adopt- a -Highway and providing representation on the Commonwealth of Virginia Workforce Investment Board.
Our current membership is 534 strong. We are located in Madison Heights, Virginia, a municipality in Amherst County. Located between The City of Lynchburg, Virginia and the home of our former President Thomas Jefferson in Popular Forest, Virginia and the counties of Appomattox, Virginia {historically known as the area where General Lee surrender to General Grant, ending the Civil War.} Looking over the Ridge, one is able to view the city of Bedford, Virginia where the newly erected National D-day Memorial is located. All locations previously mentioned are in the heart of Central Virginia.
For more then 300 years, UCITOVA tribal community descendents are still living and are strong. In the past, history has shown we have been bullied, harassed and taken advantage of. Through these times, we have relied on the wisdom of our Elders to provide the correct course, to preserve our beliefs and history. This wisdom has enabled researchers and genealogists to understand the miraculous events that have occurred in the Great Cherokee Nation and our Tribe.
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