Sacred land returned to Native tribe in Virginia

Sacred land in Virginia will be returned to the Rappahannock Tribe. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland will be in attendance at the celebration.

Tribal land in Virginia will be returned to the Rappahannock Tribe during a celebration hosted by the Department of the Interior Friday.

Secretary Deb Haaland will join the Rappahannock Tribe, Chesapeake Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in honor of the tribe’s historic reacquisition of roughly 465 acres at Fones Cliffs.

The Fones Cliffs lie on the eastern side of the Rappahannock River and are located within the authorized boundary of the Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

"Threatened by development for decades, this 'crown jewel' of Virginia has immense significance, not only for the surrounding environment but for American history," the Conservation Fund's website states.