The Representative of Electoral District #6 in Bong County, Mioma Briggs-Mensah has proclaimed to ‘uncover and rebuild’ connection once again the heritage of the Via tribe ancestry from Virginia in the United States of America.
According to Representative Mensah, her decision is being triggered by passage of the Dual Citizenship Act into law on July 22, 2022 which allowed Liberians of negro decent born in diaspora country to obtain Liberian passport making them Liberia citizens.
The Bong County Lawmaker made the proclamation Tuesday at a Press Conference held at the Capitol Building in Monrovia.
” We have prepared a proclamation endorsing and uncovering further connections of Liberians or Native Black American wishing to reconnect with their heritage and historical family members” She added.
Following ancestry root in America
She indicated that the Quiyoughcohannocks of the Powhatan Confederacy in the greater Surry County, Virginia communities and support their appeal to the United States of America for federal assistance also known as federal acknowledgment as Native American indigenous peoples.
” In the spirit of our collective ancestors, we support Sovereign Nation status for Quiyoughcohannock sister tribe in the Country of Liberia known as the Via Tribe who contributed to the survival, life and times of Native Americans and Native American Black of the 1800s from the United States until today in the forming of the Country Liberia” Representative Mensah explained.
She urged that declaring immediately a provision of citizenship in Liberia for United States Emigrant families both Native Americans and Native American Blacks who remain in America and are the ancestors and descendants of the VIA tribe in Liberia.
She told Legislative reporters recently that the creation of Liberia came in part from the efforts of some American citizens including the American Colonization Society(ACS), originally known as the Society for the Colonization of Free People of Color of America until 1837, founded in 1816 by Robert Finley to encourage and support the migration of free African Americans to the continent of Africa.
She asserted that the Quiyoughcohannovks and VIA pledged as Nations to help enhance a more tolerant society based on the understanding of the society diverse culture and individualism as Quiyoughcohanncks and VIA Tribal members seeking seat at the United Nations international table to in part seek UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Representative Mensah emphasized that when the 54th Legislature return from the legislative break, will proffer a bill seeking dual citizenship for the VIA tribe in Liberia and VIA tribe in Virginia of the United States of America known as Quiyoughcohannock to foster trade link among their tribe.
Meanwhile, Bishop Dr. Otis B. Young of the City of Light Harvest International said the connection of the descendants of the Via tribe in Virginia have done several research linking their root to the Via tribe in Liberia.
Bishop Young stated that the proclamation endorsing and uncovering further connections of Liberians will go a long way to benefit Liberia in many aspects in its developmental drive.
He noted that descendants of the via ancestors in Virginia have being engaging research through scentific mothed to disvover the origin in Africa over the years.
