In Virginia we have Indians, remants of large populations who carry on the identity of their ancestors, The Pamunkey and The Mattaponi live on reservations near Richmond and still pay their yearly taxes to the Govenor in the form of game, as per the treaty of Middle Plantation , 29 May 1646.
There are also the Rappahannock, Nandsmond, Chicahominy, Eastern Chicahominy and Upper Mattaponi, they were all memners of Powhatan's Confederation. Additionally there is the Monacans, near Lynchburg. They are all recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia but not the federal government.
In the early 20th century white folks often would not want it known they had natives in their background. Natives had also bended with Africans and that added to the taint of being anythingless than 100% white. Those with native features would often claim to be descendants of Pocahontas, since she was so famous it sort of made it okay. That is what my family did, and in the process lost all memory of who they were, like Lees, it is not documented.
And there was Plecker, heard of the vital statistics bureau for 60 some years who refused to allow any birth or death certificate to list a person as an Indian, circulating lists of surnames to local registrars of family to be designated as "Colored". the SOB was run down by a truck crossing the street in Richmond in 1957. Today the vital statistic bureau will reissue those certificates corrected to read "Native American".
