Federal law records the reclassification: Public Law 115-121 (Washington, D.C., 29 Jan. 2018)

SUMMARYFederal law records the reclassification: Public Law 115-121 (Washington, D.C., 29 Jan. 2018) [Connections: Virginia & Eastern Shore, Nov 5, 2026]

RECORDThe Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act (132 Stat. 40) recognized six nations: Chickahominy, Chickahominy–Eastern Division, Upper Mattaponi, Rappahannock, Monacan and Nansemond. Its findings state: the Vital Statistics Bureau "classed all nonreservation Indians as 'Negro'" (§401(57)); it insisted Indian draftees go into "Negro units" (§401(60)); Upper Mattaponi leaders fought induction "into 'colored' units" (§301(20)(A)); Plecker would "not allow Indians to register as Indians for the 1930 census" (§501(10)); Monacans could claim their race only with an asterisk tied to Plecker's note "that there were no Indians in Virginia" (§501(11)). The Senate report (S. Rep. 115-123) notes that births had to be registered "White" or "Colored" and that courthouse records "burned during the Civil War." Chickahominy Chief Stephen Adkins told the Senate (30 Oct. 2013) that the tribes were attacked "not through blood, as in the 17th century, but through paper."

PATTERNThe U.S. government itself now records that Native Virginians were classed "Negro" in official records

LENS (WW9)The strongest receipt in this file, because federal statute admits the renaming

OPENThe exact phrase "paper genocide" is not in the statute. It comes from tribes and commentators (see VPM, Delaware Public Media)

SOURCEPublic Law 115-121; Senate Report 115-123; Adkins testimony, SCIA, 2013.