I Hope Glen Younkin Likes Venison

Glen Youngkin accepts a free deer

At Outdoor Life, Tribes Uphold Centuries-Old Treaty by Delivering Dead Deer to Virginia Governor

The Mattaponi and Pamunkey tribes are remnants of the great Powhatan Confederacy that greeted the earliest English settlers. Several centuries ago, the tribes made a series of deals to help end violent conflicts with the colonists. As part of a treaty in 1646, and then another in 1677, the tribes agreed to bring wild game to the governor each year. They’ve done that for more than 100 governors since, some of whom served the British Crown and others the United States.

The tradition continues today.

“If they don’t get a deer, they’ll get whatever they can,” says Lois Morning Glory Carter, who helps preserve the traditions of her tribal culture by giving tours at the Mattaponi Indian Museum. Some years, the tribute might be a turkey, or fish; a few members of the tribe still fish the river each spring with nets for shad, herring and rockfish.

Tribal interest in the annual tribute ceremony is stronger than ever, Carter says, with about 20 to 50 of the tribe’s members traveling to the governor’s mansion in Richmond in recent years.

The ceremony itself creates a striking scene: A man in a suit and tie looking oddly out of place at his own mansion, standing next to a couple of whole dead deer lying on the pavement. It’s a ritual all Virginia governors participate in, regardless of their comfort with hunting. (Youngkin enjoys hunting and fishing, however, and has a lifetime Virginia license.)

I had never heard that before. It's kind of cool. I hope it wasn't roadkill.