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2004 SESSION

047804408
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 211
Offered January 14, 2004
Prefiled January 14, 2004
Celebrating the life of Chief Webster Custalow.
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Patron-- McDougle
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WHEREAS, Chief Webster "Little Eagle" Custalow, for 27 years chief of the Mattaponi Indians and a well-known and widely respected Indian leader, died on March 21, 2003; and

WHEREAS, a lifelong resident of the Mattaponi reservation in King William County, Chief Custalow was a descendant of Pocahontas and was known throughout Virginia's Indian community for his deep spirituality; and

WHEREAS, Chief Custalow's love of the Mattaponi River, on which he fished throughout his life, led him to break the Mattaponi's traditional silence on political matters and oppose plans to withdraw water from the river to build a reservoir for the City of Newport News; and

WHEREAS, Chief Custalow enjoyed unique stature among the Commonwealth's Indian tribes, and the influence of his wisdom and spiritual leadership extended well beyond the Mattaponi tribe; and

WHEREAS, combining traditional leadership and respect for the traditions of the Mattaponi with modern political awareness earned Chief Custalow respect and affection among Indians and non-Indians across the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of an outstanding Indian leader and Virginian, Chief Webster Custalow; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Chief Webster Custalow as an expression of the respect in which his memory is held by the members of the General Assembly.