State historical marker to be revealed in King William to highlight Indigenous perseverance

KING WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A new state historical marker set to be dedicated in King William County this weekend will highlight Indigenous perseverance against a century-old Virginia law, according to Department of Historic Resources (DHR) officials.

In a press release shared on Tuesday, March 31, the DHR announced that the state historical marker will be revealed just south of the county’s historic courthouse at 227 Courthouse Lane in King William, starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 4.

The marker, “Racial Integrity” and the Tribes of King William, was approved by the Virginia Board of Historic Resources and reportedly showcases "the perseverance of Virginia’s Indigenous peoples who struggled against a 20th-century state law that obstructed their tribes’ efforts to gain state and federal recognition."

The ceremony will begin with introductory remarks from Dave Brown, president of the King William County Historical Society, along with remarks from Chief Kevin Brown of the Pamunkey, Chief Mark Custalow of the Mattaponi, Chief Frank Adams of the Upper Mattaponi, DHR representative Ashley Spivey, a member of the Virginia Board of Historic Resources and a Pamunkey citizen.

The marker focuses on the impact of Virginia’s 1924 Act to Preserve Racial Integrity, a law designed to enforce racial segregation and uphold the idea of White "purity," DHR said.

State officials said the marker is intended to educate the public about the historical forces that tried to erase Indigenous identity and the perseverance of the resisting tribes.

The marker was approved in June 2025 by the Virginia Board of Historic Resources, and the VDH covered manufacturing costs.

Attendees can visit the King William County Historical Museum after the ceremony where Hungry Hungry Arrow, a local Indigenous woman–owned food truck, will offer traditional fry-bread dishes.