On Saturday, March 22, 2025, a community event was held at Fort Christanna in Lawrenceville, Virginia, marking the unveiling of the Yesáh (Portable) Art Monument & Mapping. This gathering is part of the Yesá:sahį Language and Sacred Places Project, supported by Virginia Tech’s Monuments Across Appalachia Virginia, Indigenous East (a program of the Landberry Foundation), and the Yesá:sahį Language and Sacred Places Project. Fort Christanna was selected as a significant site for the artwork's unveiling, as noted by event organizer Dominique Hunter.
She remarked, "Our Yesáh (Eastern Siouan) people once gathered here and later spread out, creating the seven diasporic communities represented at this event: the Occaneechi Saponi Virginia Tribe, the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, the Sappony of Person County, the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe, the Saponi Nation of Ohio, the Monacan Indian Nation, and the Saponi of Granville County. It is a beautiful day to assemble in this place, just a short walk from where our ancestors convened in Saponi Town. The children, who will eventually become ancestors themselves, attended Fort Christanna's school, where our language and aspects of our heritage were documented. They were also introduced to Christianity, the English language, and European cultural practices."
She further explained, "This artwork monument symbolizes our Four Daughter agricultural ceremonial calendar. Each direction represents a specific daughter, and the seat we created in her honor is made from wood sourced from her corresponding direction. This also reflects the four seasons, four elements, four clans, and our four traditional plant foods: corn, beans, squash, and sunflower. Additionally, there are 13 shells representing our lunar calendar and artistically crafted stones symbolizing our traditional mound culture."
The program featured remarks from various Native communities and organizations, emphasizing their history, cultural and language revitalization, and food sovereignty. Brunswick County Board of Supervisors Chair Dr. Barbara Jarrett Harris from the Totaro District and Dr. Alfonzo Seward from the Sturgeon District also shared their insights on behalf of Brunswick County. Numerous sponsors attended the event, and a private gathering for Yesáh community members and their families preceded the public program, allowing guests to sample a variety of native heritage cuisines, including bison, vegan chili, and blue corn cornbread.