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  • Live

    Make the most of Alexandria's outstanding quality of life with information and services of interest to residents.

    • Be Prepared

      Are you ready? Find resources and information to help residents, businesses and visitors to prepare for all types of emergencies, and to stay safe.

      • Flooding Preparedness
      • Snow and Ice Control
      • Hurricane Preparedness
      • Emergency Preparedness
      • Public Health Emergency
    • Community Life

      Learn more about pets and animals, schools and libraries, parks and farmers' markets, community gardens, and more.

      • Community Gardens
      • Farmers' Markets
      • Parks
      • Pets
      • Recreation
    • Get Involved

      There are many opportunities to get involved to help better the City of Alexandria. Opportunities include serving on a Board, Commission or Committee, providing input on a new City project or speaking at a City Council meeting.

      • Boards and Commissions
      • Civic Engagement Policy
      • City Academies
      • Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
      • Speak at a Meeting
      • Volunteering
    • Getting Around

      Information on how to get to and through the City of Alexandria, including walking, biking, bus, rail, air, ridesharing, and more.

      • Bicycling in Alexandria
      • Bus and Rail
      • King Street Trolley
      • Parking in Alexandria
      • Street Maps
      • Taxis
      • Water Taxis
    • Historic Preservation

      Historic Alexandria is a treasure trove of early structures, artifacts, and records that creates a unique way of life for its citizens and provides enjoyment for thousands of people who visit this special community every year. The City continues to add resources to its collection of local and nationally designated historic districts.

      • Alexandria History
      • Board of Architectural Review
      • Historic Alexandria
      • Historic Districts
    • Licenses & Permits

      Find out whether a permit is required, the type of permit needed, fees involved, and what requirements are necessary for the activity you want to engage in Alexandria.

      • Building & Construction
      • Business Licenses
      • Health Permits
      • Marriage Licenses
      • Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
    • Parking

      Information about parking in the City of Alexandria, including parking options, enforcement, districts and permits.

      • Contest a Parking Ticket
      • Guest Parking Permits
      • Parking Permits
      • Parking Studies
      • Parking in Old Town
      • Pay a Parking Ticket
    • Public Health & Wellness

      Alexandria is committed to ensuring our residents thrive through physical, mental, and social health.

      • Aging & Adult Services
      • Domestic Violence
      • Environmental Health
      • Environmental Quality
      • Health Department
      • Health Clinics
      • Sexual Assault
      • Substance Abuse Prevention
      • Substance Abuse Services
      • Teen Pregnancy Prevention
      • Teen Wellness Center
    • Public Safety & Courts

      Agencies and programs that help maintain our safety and overall quality of life. These links contain information about the City of Alexandria's law enforcement agencies and public safety organizations, courts and judicial system.

      • Fire Department
      • Police Department
      • Sheriff's Office
      • Circuit Court
      • Clerk of Circuit Court
      • General District Court
      • J&DR Court
      • Court Service Unit
    • Public Works

      Learn more about how the City maintains streets, sidewalks, bridges, and other infrastructure in the City.

      • Bridge Maintenance
      • Paving and Potholes
      • Sewer Maintenance
      • Street Sweeping
    • Real Estate & Taxes

      The City collects car and real estate taxes, maintains tax relief programs and assesses property values. Taxes can be paid in a variety of ways including online, by phone and by mail.

      • Payments
      • Personal Property/Car Tax
      • Real Estate Assessments
      • Real Estate Tax
      • Tax Guide
      • Tax Relief
    • Schools & Libraries

      Did you know that ACPS is one of the most diverse school systems in the country? Our students come from more than 80 different countries, speak more than 60 languages, and represent a myriad of ethnic and cultural groups. The Alexandria Library is an educational, user-oriented service institution providing free public access to recorded knowledge and ideas.

      • Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS)
      • Alexandria Library
      • Child Care
      • Higher Learning
      • Out of School Time Programs
    • Social Services

      The City provides public assistance as a safety net for individuals and families, including help with homelessness prevention, food, rent, utilities, medical coverage and prescriptions, job training and placement assistance, and much more.

      • Aging & Adult Services
      • Child Care Assistance
      • Homeless Services
      • Housing Resources
      • Mentoring Programs
      • Military & Veteran Services
    • Trash & Recycling

      Find information on the City's refuse, recycling and yard waste collection programs.

      • Recycling
      • Refuse Collection
      • Yard Waste
    • Utilities

      The City of Alexandria does not operate any public utilities. The following companies are the primary providers of their respective service:

      • Cable TV (Comcast / Xfinity)
      • Drinking Water (Virginia American Water)
      • Electricity (Dominion Energy)
      • Natural Gas (Washington Gas)
      • Sewage/Water Treatment (Alex Renew)
      • Wired Telephone (Verizon)
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  • Play

    Whether you live here or are just visiting, Alexandria is a great place to shop, dine, take in the arts, get outdoors, and just have fun.

    • About Alexandria

      If you are looking for small-town charm and big-city amenities, Alexandria is the place to find them. Alexandria has a fascinating history, and many of its historic buildings are still preserved today. The City's many historic homes, churches, businesses, and museums allow residents and visitors alike to experience the past that makes it the charming town it is today.

      • Alexandria's History
      • Demographics & Statistics
      • Maps & GIS
      • Visit Alexandria
    • Arts & Culture

      Through engaging the community, encouraging participation, and facilitating access to arts and culture, the City builds a vibrant community for its residents, workers, and visitors.

      • City Concerts
      • City Events
      • Historic Property Rentals
      • Museums & Historic Sites
      • Office of Historic Alexandria
      • Office of the Arts
    • Entertainment

      Find events and activities, shops and restaurants, concerts and performances, arts and culture, historic attractions, parks and libraries, farmers' markets, and more.

      • City Concerts
      • City Events
      • Office of the Arts
      • Visit Alexandria: Things to Do
    • Getting Around

      Information on how to get to and through the City of Alexandria, including walking, biking, bus, rail, air, ridesharing, and more.

      • Bicycling in Alexandria
      • Bus & Rail
      • King Street Trolley
      • Parking in Alexandria
      • Street Maps
      • Taxis
      • Water Taxis
    • Museums & Historic Sites

      Alexandria is a desirable location to live, work and play. The City owns many of the premier historic sites in Alexandria and it is charged with the conservation, interpretation and promotion of these links to the past.

      • City Museums
      • Historic Sites & Attractions
      • Office of Historic Alexandria
    • Parks & Recreation

      Alexandria is an active community that offers more than 900 acres of parks and dedicated public space, and a wide variety of neighborhood and recreation centers, pools, dog parks, farmers' markets, waterfront activities and more.

      • Classes & Camps
      • Dog Parks
      • Facility & Park Rentals
      • Farmers' Markets
      • Marina & Waterfront Parks
      • ParkLink Interactive Map
      • Parks & Trails
      • Pools & Aquatics
      • Recreation Centers
      • Sports Leagues & Programs
    • Visit Alexandria

      Information about visiting Alexandria, including shopping, dining, attractions, accommodations, events listings and more. Plan your visit with an itinerary builder, interactive maps, hotel booking, online restaurant reservations and much more.

      • Group Tours
      • Meet in Alexandria
      • Plan Your Visit
      • Trip Planning Assistance
      • Visitor Center
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  • Services

    We are here to serve you. Browse the topics to the right to learn more about the programs and services we offer.

    • Alex311

      Connect with professional and knowledgeable staff for City service and information requests from every City department.

      • Missed Collection
      • Parking
      • Potholes
      • Street Cleaning
      • Trash & Recycling Containers
      • Trees
      • Yard Waste / Bulky Items Pickup
    • Animals

      What you need to know about animals, pets and wildlife in Alexandria.

      • Animal Adoption
      • Animal Control
      • Dog Parks
    • Buildings & Construction

      The City provides services to residents, businesses, contractors, and visitors needing permits for constructions and other developments.

      • Building Codes
      • City Code
      • Code Administration
      • Green Building
      • Land Use & Zoning
      • Permit Center
      • Permits & Land Use Applications
    • Environment

      "Green" initiatives, air quality, noise, water conservation, mosquito and rodent control.

      • Air Quality
      • Clean Waterways
      • Climate Change
      • Eco-City Alexandria
      • Green Building
      • Mosquito Control
      • Noise Control
      • Rodent Control
      • Stormwater Management
    • Jobs
      • City Government Jobs
      • Alexandria City Public Schools
      • Job Search Assistance (Workforce Development Center)
      • Collective Bargaining
    • Maps & GIS

      Geographic Information Systems (GIS) centrally manages, shares and analyzes information about locations through specialized mapping technology. This information increases transparency, improves many City technology applications and provides critical data to decision makers and the public.

      • Interactive Maps
      • Open Data
      • Standard Maps
    • Parks & Recreation

      Alexandria is an active community that offers more than 900 acres of parks and dedicated public space, and a wide variety of neighborhood and recreation centers, pools, dog parks, farmers' markets, waterfront activities and more.

      • Classes & Camps
      • Dog Parks
      • Facility & Park Rentals
      • Farmers' Markets
      • Marina & Waterfront
      • Parks & Trails
      • Pools & Aquatics
      • Recreation Centers
      • Sports Leagues & Programs
    • Property & Housing

      The City administers various housing-related programs and services.

      • Housing Master Plan
      • Landlord & Property Manager Resources
      • Maps & GIS
      • Office of Housing
      • Parcel Viewer
      • Real Estate Assessments
    • Public Health & Wellness

      Alexandria is committed to ensuring our residents thrive through physical, mental, and social health.

      • Aging & Adult Services
      • Emergency Mental Health Services
      • Environmental Health
      • Environmental Quality
      • Health Department
      • Health Clinics
      • Sexual and Domestic Violence Services
      • Substance Abuse Services
      • Teen Pregnancy Prevention
      • Teen Wellness Center
    • Public Safety & Courts

      Agencies and programs that help maintain our safety and overall quality of life. These links contain information about the City of Alexandria's law enforcement agencies and public safety organizations, courts and judicial system.

      • Fire Department
      • Police Department
      • Sheriff's Office
      • Circuit Court
      • Clerk of Circuit Court
      • General District Court
      • J&DR Court
      • Court Service Unit
    • Public Works

      Learn more about how the City maintains streets, sidewalks, bridges, and other infrastructure in the City.

      • Bridge Maintenance
      • Paving & Potholes
      • Sewer Maintenance
      • Street Sweeping
    • Real Estate & Taxes

      The City collects car and real estate taxes, maintains tax relief programs and assesses property values. Taxes can be paid in a variety of ways including online, by phone and by mail.

      • Payments
      • Personal Property/Car Tax
      • Real Estate Assessments
      • Real Estate Tax
      • Tax Guide
      • Tax Relief
    • Social Services

      The City provides public assistance as a safety net for individuals and families, including help with homelessness prevention, food, rent, utilities, medical coverage and prescriptions, job training and placement assistance, and much more.

      • Aging & Adult Services
      • Child Care
      • Children & Families
      • Discrimination & Disabilities
      • Gang & Youth Violence Prevention
      • Homeless Services
      • Housing Assistance
      • Human Rights
      • Job Search Assistance (Workforce Development Center)
      • Mentoring Programs
      • Military & Veteran Services
    • Trash & Recycling

      Find information on the City's refuse, recycling and yard waste collection programs.

      • Recycling
      • Refuse Collection
      • Yard Waste
    • Transportation

      Information on how to get to and through the City of Alexandria, including walking, biking, bus, rail, air, ridesharing, and more.

      • Bicycling in Alexandria
      • Bus & Rail
      • King Street Trolley
      • Parking in Alexandria
      • Street Maps
      • Taxis
      • Transportation Planning
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  • Business

    Ideally located just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., Alexandria is nationally recognized as one of the best places to live and do business on the east coast. Learn how we can help you start or relocate your business in Alexandria, and access resources for existing businesses and commuters.

    • Business Resources

      The City provides services and resources to help existing businesses expand within the City and promotes recruiting new businesses in Alexandria.

      • Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP)
      • Alexandria Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
      • BIPOC Small Business Program
      • Doing Business with the City
      • New Business Guide
      • Public-Private Partnerships
    • Jobs

      Alexandria offers wide range of job opportunities and services. Work for City government or City Public Schools, find out about an internship opportunity or learn about workforce development and career training options.

      • City Government Jobs
      • Job Search Assistance (Workforce Development Center)
      • Collective Bargaining
    • Licenses & Permits

      Find out whether a permit is required, the type of permit needed, fees involved, and what requirements are necessary for the activity you want to engage in Alexandria.

      • APEX Permitting & Land Use System
      • Business Licenses
      • Business Outdoor Program & Permits
      • Health Permits
      • Permit Center
      • Zoning Information
    • Real Estate & Taxes

      The City collects car and real estate taxes, maintains tax relief programs and assesses property values. Taxes can be paid in a variety of ways including online, by phone and by mail.

      • Business License Tax
      • Business Personal Property Tax
      • Lodging Tax
      • Meal Tax
      • Payments
      • Real Estate Assessment Search
      • Real Estate Assessments
      • Sales Tax
    • Transportation

      Information on how to get to and through the City of Alexandria, including walking, biking, bus, rail, air, ridesharing, and more.

      • Getting Around
      • Vehicle Registration
      • GO Alex Commuter Resources
      • Parking in Alexandria
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  • Government

    Learn more about Alexandria's accountable, effective, and well-managed government.

    • City Council

      The Alexandria City Council is composed of a Mayor and six Council members who are elected at-large for three-year terms. The Mayor, who is chosen on a separate ballot, presides over meetings of the Council and serves as the ceremonial head of government.

      • City Council Calendar
      • Communicate with City Council
      • Council Assignments
      • Meeting Dockets & Video
      • Speak at a Meeting
    • Boards & Commissions

      The City of Alexandria has a strong commitment to citizen participation as evidenced by the number of citizen boards and commissions established by City Council. These bodies compose a formal system through which citizens can advise City Council on all major issues affecting the City.

      • Meeting Dockets & Video
      • Apply for a Board or Commission
      • Boards & Commission Calendar
      • Boards & Commission Vacancies
      • Board of Architectural Review
      • Board of Zoning Appeals
      • Planning Commission
      • Park & Recreation Commission
      • Transportation Commission
    • Departments & Agencies

      View a list of City departments, offices and other agencies, and learn about their role in the organization.

      • City Government Departments & Offices
      • Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
      • Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)
      • Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS)
      • Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP)
      • Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA)
      • Alexandria Transit Company (DASH)
      • Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA)
      • Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
      • Visit Alexandria (Official Tourism Site)
    • Public Safety & Courts

      Information about the City of Alexandria's law enforcement agencies and public safety organizations, courts and judicial system.

      • Police Department
      • Fire Department
      • Sheriff's Office
      • Courts
      • Office of Emergency Management
      • Emergency & Customer Communications
      • Community Policing Review Board
    • Elected Officials

      Alexandria voters elect a Mayor and City Council and three local officers, as well as state and federal representatives.

      • City Council
      • Clerk of Circuit Court
      • Commonwealth's Attorney
      • Sheriff
      • Voting in Alexandria
    • Get Involved

      There are many opportunities to get involved to help better the City of Alexandria. Opportunities include serving on a Board, Commission or Committee, providing input on a new City project or speaking at a City Council meeting.

      • Boards & Commissions
      • City of Alexandria Academy Programs
      • Civic Engagement Policy
      • Speak at a Meeting
      • Volunteering
    • Transparency

      The City government acts with integrity in an open process, and provides timely access to clear, trustworthy information, presented and employed by all parties from the beginning to the end of the process, including the reasoning that leads to and supports the policy conclusion.

      • Operating Budget & Capital Improvement Program
      • Meeting Dockets & Video
      • Performance Analytics
      • Alexandria's Strategic Plan
      • Race & Social Equity
      • Community Policing Review Board
      • Collective Bargaining
      • City Code
      • Open Data
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  • Projects & Plans

    Much of our work involves creating and improving infrastructure and planning for the future. Learn more about major projects and plans here, and how you can get involved!

    • Arts & Culture

      Information about arts, culture and historic projects in the City.

      • Arts & Culture Master Plan
      • Public Art Implementation Plan
    • Development

      Information about commercial and residential development projects in the City.

      • Landmark/Van Dorn Area Planning
      • North Potomac Yard Implementation / Virginia Tech Innovation Campus
      • Potomac River Generating Station Redevelopment
    • Environmental

      Information about environmental and "green" projects in the City.

      • 500 Block N. Pitt St. Sewer Separation Project
      • Flood Action Alexandria
      • Franklin St. Sewer Relocation Project
      • Holmes Run Trail Repairs
      • Lucky Run Stream Restoration
      • Oronoco Outfall Remediation Project
      • Wheeler Ave. Sanitary Sewer Pipe Relining
      • Windmill Hill Park Project - Phase II
    • Neighborhoods

      Information about neighborhood projects in the City.

      • Alexandria West Planning
      • Duke Street and West Taylor Run Project
      • Eisenhower Avenue Metrorail Station Pedestrian Crossing Improvements
      • King-Callahan-Russell Intersection Improvement Project
      • Mount Vernon Avenue North Complete Streets
    • Parks & Recreation

      Information about parks and recreation projects in the City.

      • Beauregard Street Multi-Use Trail Project
      • Bicycle Parking
      • Eugene Simpson Park Renovation Projects
      • Joseph Hensley Park Renovation
      • Old Cameron Run Trail Project
      • Robinson Terminal South Update: Historic Ship Stabilization
    • Public Facilities

      Information about public facilities projects in the City.

      • Alexandria Waterfront
      • King Street-Old Town Metro Access Improvement Project
      • Municipal Broadband
      • Potomac Yard Metrorail Station Project
    • Social Services

      Information about social services projects and plans in the City.

      • Aging and Adult Services
      • Early Care & Education Common Agenda
      • The Partnership to Prevent & End Homelessness
    • Transportation

      Information about transportation projects and plans in and around the City.

      • Adaptive Traffic Signal Control
      • Alexandria Mobility Plan
      • Complete Streets
      • Duke Street in Motion
      • Potomac Yard Metrorail Station Project
      • Smart Mobility
      • Traffic Mitigation
      • Vision Zero
      • West End Transitway
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Indigenous Peoples, Virginia Indians, and Alexandria

For thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans and the founding of Alexandria in 1749, Indians seasonally lived in and traveled through the lands that would become the City of Alexandria.
Page updated on November 14, 2022 at 10:31 AM

Cultural History

  • About Historic Alexandria
  • Alexandria Community Remembrance Project
    • Public Programs
    • Committee Meetings
    • Equal Justice Initiative
    • In Memoriam: Benjamin Thomas
    • In Memoriam: Joseph McCoy
  • Alexandria Oral History Center
  • African American History
  • Hispanic Heritage
  • Indigenous Peoples
  • Women's History
  • Commissions Supporting Historic Alexandria
  • News Releases
  • Stay Connected
  • Support Historic Alexandria

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Indigenous Peoples, Virginia Indians, and Alexandria

For thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans and the founding of Alexandria in 1749, Indians seasonally lived in and traveled through the lands that would become the City of Alexandria. Just upriver from Alexandria, the river tumbles over a series of cataracts known as Great Falls, its last obstacle to the Chesapeake Bay. These falls form a barrier to fish traveling upstream to spawn each year, which in turn makes the area just downstream a good fishing and camping ground and one used by indigenous people for millennia.

The Potomac River borders and connects the lands and people of Alexandria and Virginia to Maryland and Washington, D. C. and today encompasses over a dozen federal and state recognized tribes and nations. Federally recognized tribes and nations in Virginia include the Pamunkey, Chickahominy, Chickahominy Eastern Division, Upper Mattaponi, Rappahannock, Monacan, and Nansemond. Virginia’s state recognized tribes and nations are the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway), Chickahominy, Chickahominy Eastern Division, Mattaponi, Monacan, Nansemond, Nottoway, Pamunkey, Patawomeck, Rappahannock, Upper Mattaponi. The Piscataway Indian Nation, the Piscataway Conoy Tribe, and the Accohannock Indian Tribe have state recognition in Maryland. 

Historic Resources

Archaeological Record

Despite the past 250 years of construction and development, remnants of the Native American past still remain buried within the city. To date, archaeologists have identified more than 30 sites containing Indian artifacts and features and have registered them with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. The types of artifacts discovered in Alexandria indicate that Indians visited the area beginning about 13,000 years ago.

Traditionally, archaeologists in the region have divided the Native American past into three major periods: Paleo-Indian (ca. 15,000 BCE - 8,00 BCE), Archaic (ca. 8,00 BCE - 1,000 BCE) and Woodland (ca. 1,000 BCE - 1,600 CE). The arrival of Europeans in large numbers during the 17th century marks the beginning of what archaeologists define as the Contact Period.

  • Learn more about Archaeology and Alexandria’s First People and see a list of site reports for sites with Indian artifacts and features. 

 

European Contact

In the summer of 1608, John Smith embarked on two voyages around the Chesapeake Bay and up many of its tributaries in order to survey the area, determine the extent of the bay, make contact with the people already living there, and identify any resources the English might exploit. On June 16, Smith and fourteen others from the Jamestown settlement entered the Potomac River in a small barge. Over the course of a few weeks, they made their way as far up the river as Great Falls, where the river becomes unnavigable, before returning back to Jamestown. Learn more about John Smith’s expedition. 

Regional Tribes and Information

Federally & State recognized Tribes

  • Maryland at a Glance: Native Americans
  • Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs
  • Virginia: State Recognized Tribes
  • Native Peoples of Washington, DC (National Park Service)

Local Place Names

Potomac [puh-TOH-muhk]
Potomac was one of two Algonquian words for the river forming the northern boundary of Virginia, and may have meant "great trading place," "place where people trade," or “something brought.”  The Potomac's common spelling through the 18th century was “Patowmack,” but has taken other forms over the years (“Patawomeke," "Patawomeck"). The river derives its name from an Indian village on its southern bank, the home of the Patawomeke people.  Following the founding of Jamestown, the Patawomeke began a friendly relationship with the English. However, soon after, white settlers forced the tribe from their land and resources. Today, their descendants, the Patawomeck, still live close to the original village in Stafford County and are one of Virginia’s state recognized tribes.

Occoquan [AA-kuh-kwaan]
The Occoquan River is a tributary of the Potomac River in Northern Virginia, where today it serves as part of the boundary between Fairfax and Prince William counties, and also the location of the town of Occoquan.  The Occoquan River Valley region was settled by the Dogue Indians who named the area “Occoquan” meaning “at the head of the water” or "at the end of the water."

Dogue [Dohg] & Tauxenant [TUX–eh–nint]
The name “Dogue” may have been derived from the Powhatan word “taux,” which was subject to numerous alternative spellings in early colonial records, including Doeg, Doag, Dogney, Toag, Taux. John Smith mapped a village Tauxenent at the mouth of the Occoquan when he visited the upper Potomac River in 1608.  He noted that the Taux lived there above Aquia Creek, with their capital Tauxenent located on “Doggs Island” (now Mason Neck – “Island” meant “Neck” in those day) where they gathered fish and also grew corn. According to archaeologists, the word “Tauxenent” does not appear again in the records of the English after Smith, but the Dogue are chronicled for another 75 years.  Throughout the middle part of the 17th century, the Dogue lived on Mason Neck and on the Maryland shore of the Potomac, as neighbors of the Piscataway.  Some of the Dogue later moved to King George County, Virginia.

Chinquapin [CHING-kuh-pin]
The word Chinquapin in Alexandria and vicinity most likely referred to a species of tree that grew in the area, the Allegheny chinkapin or chinquapin (Castanea pumila). This tree produces fruit with many sharp spines which contains one shiny dark brown nut that is edible. Captain John Smith recorded this tree in 1612, observing its use by the Indians who made an infusion of chinquapin leaves to relieve headaches and fevers. 

Wayfinding Signs & Exhibits

Exhibit

  • Technology Tells a Story.  This exhibit case, at the Alexandria Archaeology Museum, maps past and present Native American tribes and nations and shows how archaeologists learn more about the lives of people living in the past by studying changes in stone projectile point technology.
     

Web Content

  • We are all Americans -- Native Americans in the Civil War. Courtesy Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site
     

Trail Signs

  • Virginia’s First Highways. Trail Sign at Potomac Yards
  • Life of a Creek. Trail Sign at Chinquapin
  • The Story of Chinquapin. Trail Sign at Chinquapin
  • There are additional places throughout Alexandria to learn about the history of Virginia Indians, including interpretive signs at Jones Point Park.

 

Equity

All Alexandria - Achieving Racial and Social Equity

ALL Alexandria means each and every resident thrives in our historic, vibrant and diverse city. Learn more about Alexandria's vision, goals, projects and events.

Indigenous People Day Resolution

From the News Release

Alexandria City Council Recognizes Second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day

­­For Immediate Release: September 10, 2019

At its regular meeting on September 10, the Alexandria City Council unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing the second Monday in October of each year as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. 

Alexandria joins more than 130 cities across the country that have recognized this day as Indigenous Peoples’ Day since 1994. This designation will not affect the existing federal or state holidays on the same day, which will still be known as Columbus Day.

The resolution also affirms the City’s participation in annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrations; encourages the Alexandria City Public Schools to include the teaching of Indigenous Peoples’ history with contemporary context and celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day; encourages other businesses, organizations, and public institutions to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day in a meaningful way and in partnership with local Native Nations; calls on all sports organizations operating in Virginia to cease the use of Indigenous Peoples’ likenesses as mascots; and commits to continue its efforts to promote the well-being and growth of Alexandria’s Indigenous Community and Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Indigenous Peoples have been and continue to be the victims of prejudice and systematic discrimination, which perpetuates high rates of income inequality and exacerbates disproportionate health, education, and social standing. The City is committed to opposing such discrimination, promoting opportunity for persons of Indigenous descent, and fostering a welcoming, inclusive, equitable, and just community for all.

The lands that would later become known as the Americas have always been home to Indigenous Peoples, with 50,000 Indigenous Peoples in Virginia comprising at least 15 separate nations prior to the arrival of English settlers. The Commonwealth currently recognizes 11 Indigenous tribes.

The tribes that inhabited Northern Virginia and the area that is now the City of Alexandria were parts of or allies with the powerful Powhatan Confederacy. Many Indigenous People were displaced from their homelands and driven onto reservations as the English, and later American colonial settlers, pushed to occupy more land in the region. Many of the Indigenous Peoples in Virginia had been subjugated, killed, or removed by the turn of the 18th century.

Educational Resources

  • National Museum of the American Indian - We Have a Story to Tell: Native Peoples of the Chesapeake Region
  • The Virginia Indian Heritage Trail
  • Virginia Department of Education - Virginia’s First People Past & Present

 

  • Archaeology
  • Equity
  • Historic Alexandria
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Alexandria City Hall
301 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

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