The Monacan Indian Nation is calling on the Fluvanna and Louisa Boards of Supervisors to begin a third-party, independent investigation into claims of mismanagement of the archaeological survey at Point of Fork.
Point of Fork, at the confluence of the James and Rivanna rivers, is believed by many historians and archaeologists to be the site of Rassawek, the main Monacan settlement at the time of the English arrival in Virginia in 1603. It is also the proposed site of a multi-million-dollar joint venture between Fluvanna and Louisa to carry water into Zion Crossroads and other parts of Louisa–water vital to the continued economic growth of the area.
The Monacan tribe, now based in Amherst County, is critical of the location of the project, which they believe will disrupt tribal artifacts and, potentially, the remains of their ancestors. In 2019, they retained Cultural Heritage Partners, a law firm that frequently works with tribes on the protection of their material heritage.
Marion Werkheiser of Cultural Heritage Partners wrote to chairs Mike Sheridan of Fluvanna and Toni Williams of Louisa on behalf of the Monacans to investigate whether the James River Water Authority (JRWA) used taxpayer dollars to pay for “illegal and unethical practices” by Circa Cultural Resource Management, an archaeological survey firm hired by Timmons Group.
Read the entire article at Fluvanna Review.