two people smile with small containers of water samples

Monitors Jessica Phillips and Maddie Moran process their dissolved oxygen sample streamside.

In partnership with the Alliance, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe – Eastern Division (CIT-ED) has trained volunteers to monitor the health of tributaries to the Chickahominy River. This monitoring effort fills critical data gaps in the Chickahominy watershed and supports the Tribe’s efforts towards building community support for clean water and their food sovereignty program.

Pre-colonization, the Chickahominy Tribe lived along the aptly named Chickahominy River. They traveled throughout the Tidewater region and had an alliance with the Powhatan Nation. Post-colonization, the Tribe was forced to a reservation in King William, and gradually migrated back to New Kent and Charles City.

In 1921, CIT-ED split from the Chickahominy. The Eastern Division then received state recognition in 1983, and federal recognition in 2018. CIT-ED has developed a modern Tribal government since being recognized as a self-governing entity. The Tribe now has an Environmental Department, and is creating programs around water, indoor air, and solid waste management, all while doing education and outreach with the community.

The Alliance and CIT-ED originally connected through the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality in 2022. After selecting accessible monitoring sites of cultural significance and initial training, CIT-ED began collecting monthly monitoring data under the Alliance’s RiverTrends monitoring program to collect baseline water quality data. In January of 2024, the Alliance and CIT-ED joined forces with Green Fin Studio to apply for a National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways grant to build out a more robust partnership.

This project had three goals:

  • Continue to collect water quality data,
  • deepen the connection between waterway health and the Tribe’s history and culture,
  • and develop educational products that integrate water quality and storytelling.

The monitoring also collects three types of data:

  • Physical: Observational data, including temperature and turbidity
  • Chemical: The “vital signs” of a stream, including dissolved oxygen and pH
  • Biological: the living organisms in a stream, including bacteria.

Since its beginnings in 2022, the monitoring efforts have collected 1,968 samples!

two people wading in a creek

Monitors Melanie Steward and Maddie Moran collect samples at Toe Ink Swamp

To ensure that the educational products created were fully representative of the community priorities, this project hosted open conversations with tribal citizens of all ages. The main themes impacting local water quality were trash, boat and industry pollution, impacts to fish, and water clarity.

In addition, we learned a lot about what water means to CIT-ED, and how they personally connect with it through nostalgia and traditions, such as spiritual ceremonies. It was important to everyone to build connections across ages with other tribes, to educate the next generations.

A large standing banner was created for use at tribal events, illustrating the connections to water quality that were important to citizens. The main message was “water is life,” connecting with people’s sense of respect for their elders, portraying the importance of water and all its connections to the world around us, and the rights of nature and water.

Some community beadwork of a bass was included in the banner, along with other imagery representing CIT-ED. Beadwork by Patricia Hoff.

See the Full Banner

We also spoke with 18 CIT-ED citizens of all ages for questions and open conversation. Here’s what some of them had to say.

“[CIT-ED] likes to have oysters, so water quality could impact oysters.”
– Liam, Age 10
“Water is within us all. If we can focus on improving outer water quality, we can improve our inner selves. You are what you drink.”
–Melanie, Age 17
“We can share [water] and everyone stays hydrated!”
– Stella Joe, Age 7

This project has helped engage the youth and community members in hands-on water science education, integrated Traditional Ecological Knowledge with Western monitoring methods, strengthened cultural connections and intergenerational learning, built environmental literacy and stewardship, and raised awareness of water issues.

Tribes can have limited capacity for programs like these, so training, collaboration, and technical assistance is incredibly helpful. It’s also a great opportunity to merge traditional knowledge with modern science, and build relationships in tribal communities and honor ancestral lands. Learn more about our partnership with CIT-ED or watch the video below!

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