Native American tribe gets back their sacred land after being displaced nearly 400 years ago

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 29: Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland takes a photo with guests after speaking during a welcome ceremony for a totem pole carved by the House of Tears Carvers of the Lummi Nation, on the National Mall July 29, 2021, in Washington, DC. The 25-foot totem pole was cut and hand-carved from a 400-year-old Western red cedar tree. The House of Tears Carvers of the Lummi Nation transported the totem pole from Washington state to Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The Rappahannock Tribe has reacquired 465 acres of sacred land at Fones Cliff, Virginia, in a huge moment for the native tribe. Deb Haaland, the first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history, confirmed the reacquisition in a press release along with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams. "We have worked for many years to restore this sacred place to the Tribe," said Rappahannock Tribe Chief Anne Richardson, according to the Chesapeake Conservancy, reported CNN. "With eagles being prayer messengers, this area where they gather has always been a place of natural, cultural, and spiritual importance."