Serving the community through food

Lynchburg residents in search of authentic southern cooking need look no further than Val’s Comfort Kitchen, which serves the community through its delicious soul food.

Started in March 2022 by Valerie Braxton, the restaurant provides a wide variety of options to cater to each customer’s needs, including cooking vegetables in smoked turkey to provide for customers with Alpha-gal restrictions as well as providing healthy meals for those with health concerns. 

Although Val’s is only entering its second year of business, Braxton said that she has spent the last 30 years working in the food industry, including her time with her catering business Lasting Impressions Catering Services, as well as her previous restaurant Soul Food Express.

Braxton stated that some of her main selling points are her meatloaf and fish sandwiches, both of which she claims are the best in Lynchburg. 

“I have guests that will come in and if we don’t have meatloaf, ‘Val, we’ll see you tomorrow when you have meatloaf,’” Braxton said. “The meatloaf and the meatloaf sauce are a seller. I make that every single day.”

While customers quickly fall in love with the food, Val’s Comfort Kitchen also provides a community unlike any other. 

“This place here is filled with love,” said Braxton, who noted that she takes time to speak with patrons at every table, regardless of how busy she is. “We cook with love. We treat our guests as if they’re family. We never meet a stranger.

Our food here speaks for itself. It is good home-cooked, wholesome comfort food.”

Instead of treating customers as simply opportunities to make money, she cares for them as individuals. 

“My focus point is helping others who need help… I have people that walk through those doors and they’re hungry and we feed them,” Braxton said. “I understand they don’t have money, that’s fine. My goal is to give back to the community.”

Braxton attributes this care for others to her faith in God.

“God is the center of this thing,” she said. “I’ll shout it from the rooftops because He is why we’re here.”  

How a Local Non-Profit is Supporting Expecting Parents

Photos by Ashlee Glen

With two years under its belt, Birth in Color Central Virginia has trained a fourth group of doulas to help support pregnant women of color and their families in the Lynchburg region throughout their entire birth journey. Doulas work alongside the other professionals responsible for birth care by offering physical, emotional, and informational support during and shortly after childbirth—efforts that have been proven to improve maternal mortality rates during childbirth.

Miosha McDaniel, a doula for Birth in Color Central Virginia, said the maternal mortality rate for Black women during delivery is three times higher than that of white women.

“That’s a really scary number and we understand that a lot of women walk in wondering if they’re going to be able to come out of the hospital with their babies,” she said.

In just two years, Birth in Color Central Virginia has already received hundreds of applications from women wanting support from the program’s doulas and wanting someone who understands their needs and struggles.

Kenda Sutton-El, executive director of Birth in Color RVA, created the flagship organization four years ago in Richmond after realizing the birthing needs of women of color—especially Black women, who needed support, education, and advocacy. She launched Birth in Color Central Virginia as RVA’s sister organization in 2021.

McDaniel said most doulas meet with their clients two to four times throughout their pregnancy to educate them on what their rights are and how they should be protected within the birthing spaces of hospitals. The doulas also hold community baby showers, childbirth classes, including classes for spouses and partners.

“We serve them emotionally, physically, and we’re really heavy on advocacy as well,” she said. “Because a lot of the time in the hospital rooms, the partner is uncomfortable and doesn’t know how to speak up or doesn’t know what to say. And that’s where the doula can step in and advocate for them and educate them on what the doctor or nurse is saying.”

Doulas also provide comfort measures including acupuncture, acupressure, and the “double hip squeeze,” which is performed during a contraction to help with discomfort in the lower back and pelvis.

“So a lot of education goes into being a doula, a lot of advocacy, and a lot of mental and emotional support, because that’s a really trying time when labor comes around,” McDaniel said.

Birth in Color Central Virginia has trained more than 20 women to become doulas but not everyone serves at once, she said. Right now, the program has about 10 active doulas.

McDaniel said the program is important to have in the area because, before the program launched, there weren’t many doulas who were women of color.

“When I was pregnant with both of my little ones, I used doulas, but they didn’t look like me,” McDaniel said. “And a lot of the times when I would walk into appointments at the doctors’ offices or even with my doulas they didn’t understand or know how to advocate for me as a Black woman.

And it was uncomfortable. I’m just a pregnant person. Don’t look at my color, just look at me being a pregnant person and coming in wanting to be educated. “

McDaniel said that Sutton-El noticed this as well when she looked around doctors’ offices and hospitals searching for women of color who worked there.

“We understand that it’s not going to be fixed overnight, but we are grateful for the role that we do get to play in helping change those numbers,” McDaniel said. “We are the first collective of Black women who serve Black women in our city. So I think it’s really special that [Sutton-El] thought that Lynchburg was worth investing in and supporting to help support other women.”

For others in the community looking to help, McDaniel advises them to have the awkward conversations and ask how they can support these women.

“Most importantly, if you see something, say something. That’s my biggest thing. If you are in a doctor’s office and you’re overhearing something or a conversation that’s going on that might be inappropriate or is not a supportive or inclusive conversation, speak up and say something,” she said.

She added that each doula is paid through donations and grants because the organization doesn’t require families to pay for their services.

“We believe that everyone should have a doula,” McDaniel said. “Every birthing person deserves that support and advocacy outside of their partner, their spouse, or family members. So donations help us do the work that we’re doing. And if you can’t support financially, just share about Birth in Color by getting the word out and talking about the work that we’re doing.”

Now more than ever, the community needs to support one another, especially women, she said.

“I think it’s a really trying time that we’re going through right now where women’s bodies are being policed,” she said. “We know our bodies the best and I think that we all need to come together to support one another and advocate for every person no matter what and no matter who they are.”  

Muralist paints life on a large scale

Muralist Andrew Williams has always been an artist. Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, Williams’ mother was a proponent of his connection with the arts from an early age.

“I had great access to art stores,” Williams remembered. “My mom would buy charcoal pencil sets and paper—I still have my first drawing pad. It started with charcoal drawings, and then I got into drawing Disney characters. From there, I transitioned to watercolor.”

That transition to watercolor was the first time Williams experimented with color—an experiment that led to his future as the muralist he is today. In 2016, Williams was contracted by The Draper Mercantile and Trading Company in Draper, Virginia, for a large-scale mural.

“I was good friends with the folks at Draper Mercantile and I had gifted the owner a watercolor of the building,” he said. “She offered to have me take a stab at the wall outside, which already had a mural on it, but it was faded. It’s a 160-foot wall and was the first mural I ever did.”

The Draper Mercantile mural took three months for Williams to complete. The process began with sketches with pen and pencil on paper and then, once approved by the owner, the design transitioned onto the wall surface.

“While I was working on that mural, I was contacted by someone from Wytheville to do a 90-foot mural,” Williams said. “And it just kind of snowballed from there.”

In 2018, Williams’ muralist work brought him to Lynchburg when he was commissioned to paint a mural of Donkey Kong at The Water Dog. Then, just a few years later, The Water Dog team commissioned Williams to paint a large-scale sign for the entrance of Oktoberfest in downtown Lynchburg.

“Dave [one of the owners of The Water Dog] wanted Donkey Kong, so that was pretty straight forward,” he explained. “But, as for the Oktoberfest sign, that was an incorporation of the logo mixed with German characters and beer. Dave pushed the envelope for me with the Oktoberfest sign because it opened up a different path to travel down and seeing the opportunities that can come with that. I’m excited to see the evolution of public art, and that’s what I’m trying to focus on for these next few years. I’m excited to see what’s next after murals for public art—what balances between a mural, a sculpture, etc. I’m excited to continue to explore the beautification of public events.”

Williams’ work keeps him traveling all over Virginia—hopping from one commission to the next. As of this writing, Williams has just finished a memorial for a WWII veteran and is currently working on a three-dimensional mural in Roanoke.

“I’m at the point in my career where I can find a wall that’s begging to be beautified,” Williams said. “I see a vision, and then I cold call it and pitch it. I’m not afraid to tackle any sort of project that someone may have. The more unique and the more crazy a project is, the more I want to do it.
I’m not scared to push the envelope on some of these projects.”  

Laura Miner knows a thing or two about a well-run kitchen. As a mom of three and the creator behind the popular food blog Cook at Home Mom, Miner spends much of her time testing recipes and creating content for her blog, all while serving up three square meals a day for her family.

“I always wanted the kitchen to be the center of the home, like it was for my mother and grandmother,” Miner said.

A New York native, Miner grew up around food and the community that it can create. Her grandmother was known for hosting big family meals and get-togethers and it was in her kitchen that Miner herself began to cook.

“Every Sunday, we were there and she always had something cooking,” Miner recounted. “The kitchen was the center of the household and food was always at the center of our family. I learned the basics from my grandmother and, as I got older and went away to college, I would call her and say, ‘Okay, I have a can of beans and an onion here, and I think I have some pasta in the cabinet,’ and she would basically give me a cooking lesson on the phone.”

It was after Miner got married and had kids that she started experimenting more in the kitchen—deviating from the soul-nourishing cheese and pasta staples from her childhood and learning how to adapt recipes to her and her family’s preferences. She started her blog, Cook at Home Mom, in 2014 on a whim and a means to connect with others creatively. At that time, she had just moved to Lynchburg with her family and was a new stay-at-home-mom and the blog served as a hobby, creative outlet, and, by 2018, her full-time job.

Steady readers of Cook at Home Mom will notice an emphasis on whole, healthy foods, many of which are Whole30, paleo, or low-carb friendly.

“I didn’t grow up eating that way,” Miner explained. “I grew up eating pasta and cheese—all the things that are good for the soul but not necessarily good for my body. I did the Whole30 in 2015 and I found that all sorts of lifelong issues that I had felt—rosacea, joint pain, inflammation issues—disappeared. I hadn’t realized before then that I was having reactions to certain foods. So anti-inflammatory diets have just helped me feel better. After I finished the Whole30, I started transitioning to a paleo-type of diet—but I still do occasionally eat bread and cheese.”

There’s a natural crossover between the recipes Miner shares on her blog and the meals that make their way to her family’s table. On and off the internet, Miner prioritizes whole foods while still leaving plenty of room for special indulgences.

“We don’t have our kids follow any strict protocol or anything like that. My main concern is their overall health,” she said. “I think it’s good to allow them to experience all the different foods that there are and talk in kid-friendly terms about the decisions that we make. When we are watching what we eat, we talk about it not in terms of what we can’t have, but in terms of what we can have. To little kids, that makes sense in a way that is less harmful than talking about food as either ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ And we explain to them that their taste buds change every now and again and that they may now like a food that they didn’t before. I want them to have a good relationship with food.”

The prioritization of accessible whole foods plus the daily cadence of creating new content for her blog means Miner requires a lot out of a kitchen. But when they moved into their Lynchburg home, its piecemealed kitchen quickly exposed inefficiencies and frustration.

“The kitchen was essentially three separate rooms,” said Miner. “We had to knock out two walls. There was a full wall and a door between the kitchen and the dining room. For us, it just didn’t make sense.”

Despite the glaring inefficiencies of the space, Miner and her family spent a full year living in and getting to know their home before jumping into renovations.

“Over time, you think about how you use the space and how you want to use the space,” she said.

After observing, cooking, and learning, renovations got underway. The Miners knocked out the ancillary walls to completely open the kitchen into their living room and took down the door between the kitchen and dining room. What was left was a flood of northwestern light that gradually softens throughout the year as the tall trees in their backyard leaf out in the spring and summer.

Opening up the kitchen into the living room left two stunning bay windows that allow light to stream in.

“We went through several rounds of designs, and I was really worried about the windows, that they would look clunky or strange. But we wound up figuring out a way to make it work,” she said.

The new open space served as a blank canvas for what the new kitchen could be.

“I wanted the kitchen to be a place that was calm,” Miner explained. “I didn’t want it to feel crowded or cluttered, which meant we needed a lot of storage. And, of course, I wanted to focus on the utility of the kitchen. I wanted a place for everything, and I wanted everything easily accessible so I could cook quickly and with expedience.”

As a focal point to the kitchen, Miner had a large island installed with enough seating for her family of five. Miner opted for marble countertops despite countless warnings that they would get chipped and stained over time.

“I made my peace with it,” she laughed. “We opted for a leathered finish, so it really hides and masks any wear. I’m hard on the kitchen and I cook a lot. I also have little kids. So, I wanted something more durable but couldn’t find anything that matched that finish that I loved so much. I felt it brought a lot of warmth to a white kitchen.”

The island features abundant storage underneath and beside the deep stainless steel farmhouse sink, but the true storage abilities of the space can be found in the cabinets across and adjacent to the island.

Within arm’s reach of the stove is a dedicated, tiered spice drawer that keeps the many spices and seasonings Miner uses organized and close at hand.

“I knew I didn’t want to be rifling through cabinets,” she explained. “I wanted to be able to go through it in quick order.”

Other efficiencies found their way into Miner’s kitchen redesign—from electrical outlets in the pantries and a dedicated coffee space to a uniquely placed kettle faucet.

“I fill my Berkey [water filtration system] twice a day, so I knew that I wanted a dedicated faucet right above it,” she said. “I also wanted the coffee out of the way so people could come in and make themselves a cup and not interrupt me while I was making breakfast. You just have to know how you work and how you function.”

Miner prioritized design and functionality decisions that felt timeless—like the picket tile backsplash and cabinet finishes—with enough flexibility for the kitchen to continue to evolve as their needs change.

“A designer once told me, ‘Don’t do anything permanent if you’re not sure.’ That’s advice that I took to heart,”  she said.

Miner doesn’t consider her kitchen to be “finished,” and it may never be. For now, future plans include installing bay window seating and storage and continuing to spend her days whipping up nourishing meals for her family and readers.  

From the Culinary Backstreets to the Community Hubs

It is said that you can’t truly understand a culture until you know their language and have tasted their food. Even for the intrepid weekend traveler—the one who ventures not outside of their country, but simply outside of their city—the sentiment is still true. For many, Charlottesville brings up images of UVA football games, laps around the historic downtown mall, and the breweries and tasting rooms that pepper the perimeter of the eight-block pedestrian walkway. While those activities do make for a fun-filled, joyous weekend, there is something to be said for veering off of the well-trodden footpath for a little while. Get to know the culinary backstreets and community hubs that help define Charlottesville’s culture.

Eastwood Farm & Winery
Just minutes outside of downtown Charlottesville, but seemingly a world away, is the 77-acre Eastwood Farm & Winery. Owned and operated by Athena Eastwood and two of her daughters, Eastwood Farm & Winery grows pears, apples, blueberries, and raspberries on-site—ingredients that fuel their cider that’s made and fermented in-house. It’s a delightful crossroad between a dry cider that Virginia is often known for and the sweet ciders that make for easy drinking on a warm day. Also offered is Eastwood’s limited but reliable menu of house-brewed beers, ranging from a crisp lager and an IPA that is more balanced than overtly hoppy and a chocolate stout that feels like a true indulgence.

But what Eastwood Farm & Winery is most known for is their Virginia Governor’s Cup–winning wine. Customers flock to their horse-barn-turned-stunning-tasting-room to sample from an impressive menu of Virginia classics like the viognier and petit manseng and their Bordeaux varieties like merlot and meritage. For a festive treat, their blanc de blanc, served in a stunning coupe, is delightfully crisp and effervescent with notes of almond and lemon zest.

Eastwood is family-friendly as well—in fact, it’s encouraged to bring children and dogs in tow. Alongside a full tasting and food menu, Eastwood also offers non-alcoholic beverages that are ideal for those who don’t drink or for the littlest ones in the group. Children can even order their own juice tasting flight where they can sample from apple juice, fruit punch, lemonade, and grape juice. They can also order their own special charcuterie board, complete with fruit snacks, animal crackers, string cheese, and dried apricots.

Eastwood Farm & Winery isn’t a “stop along the way” type of place—it’s where friends and families gather for hours-long conversations while they sip on some truly delectable beverages.

The Wool Factory
Just 12 minutes away from Eastwood Farm & Winery, but in an entirely separate part of town, is The Historic Woolen Mills. Located at the confluence of the Rivanna River and Moores Creek, the expansive warehouse complex was once nationally known for its production of woolen textiles. The textile mill closed its doors in 1962, after 100 years in operation, but it now has new life and purpose as a gathering space for locals and travelers alike. Inside of the warehouse footprint are office spaces, Selvedge Brewing, The Workshop, and Broadcloth—all names paying homage to the building’s history.

Selvedge Brewing offers a chance to grab a quick bite and a beer before dinner while The Workshop offers a full-service coffee shop, complete with locally roasted beans, and the opportunity to shop for a special bottle or two of wine to take home.

Just next door to Selvedge Brewing is Broadcloth, a unique dining experience where Chef Tucker Yoder guides guests through the current season with culinary ingenuity and poise. With the option of a four-course, six-course, or chef-tasting menu, and optional wine pairings to match, diners may find themselves indulging in dry-aged duck with smoked beets or roasted spaghetti squash in a browned butter sauce so perfectly nutty and golden. As the menu changes every week, however, guests will always have a surprise in store when they visit.

Quirk Hotel
After an indulgent day, of course, an indulgent night is in order. The Quirk Hotel is unassuming from the street. Built upon two 19th-century homes that currently house the Quirk Gallery and Quirk Cafe, the interior of the hotel itself is expansive. Entering through the front doors, guests are introduced to a light-filled lobby with a sweeping ivy-like art installation lining the wall that draws the eye forward and upward, where it inevitably finds the ceiling of rolling arches high above.

Art and beauty are the story of the Quirk Hotel, and it’s evident from the lobby bar and hallways through to the spacious rooms and rooftop bar with 180-degree terrace views of the city. No matter where a guest may go or look, they will find something beautiful to look at.

Cou Cou Rachou
Every early morning deserves coffee on a cozy patio with a delicious cup of something to keep warm. Cou Cou Rachou, a classically French bakery run by a Le Cordon Bleu–trained pastry chef, is tucked into a modest shopping plaza. Walking through the front doors, you’re hit with warmth from the ovens and an intoxicating aroma from the lineup of perfectly glazed and sugar-dusted pastries. Deep brown canelé, mildly tart Meyer lemon financiers, and buttery, flakey pain aux chocolats draw guests in, beckoning them to hover over the glass case to choose which pastry (or two) will be their morning treat.

A coffee menu perches just above the pastry case, where guests can choose creamy cafe au laits, sweet and salty maple lattes, or simply a delicious cup of black coffee.

IX Art Park & The Looking Glass
Charlottesville isn’t just indulgent food, of course. The creative thread that runs through the city’s culinary experiences extends throughout its public spaces, as well. The IX Art Park is a nonprofit outdoor art gallery that is brimming from sidewalk to sky with murals, art installations, sculptures, and community. The IX Art Park is home to free festivals, weekly events, and a weekly farmers market that welcomes around 3,000 hungry shoppers every Saturday morning.

The IX Art Park also provides free art kits (from Thursday to Sunday) including watercolors, paint sticks, chalk, and more to visitors of all ages. They also host Arts From Underground, which is a free weekly series that provides adults with an opportunity to make art and explore their inner creativity.

Just inside of the building space that serves as a backdrop to the Art Park is The Looking Glass, Virginia’s first and only immersive art space. The Looking Glass is an extension of the IX Art Park, though it is a ticketed experience. At first entry, guests are greeted by a painted bookcase and mirror that contain the most clever of secrets: Hidden doors that lead them through an enchanted woodland scene, through the glowing, neon belly of a caterpillar, and into a cozy gnome cottage. Everything within the space is meant to be touched or interacted with, for an art experience that is truly for all senses.

Tonic
At Tonic, Chef Emerson Ross has created a masterful menu with ingredients sourced from local farmers and growers. The snackboards, designed to share with the table, feature in-season produce that have been pickled, fermented, whipped, or marinated, culminating in a customizable appetizer that clues your taste buds in on the journey ahead. The entrees—which Chef Ross and owner Courtenay Tyler both agree are also best when shared amongst the table—continue the local story. Mushrooms from nearby Sharondale Mushroom Farm are piled high on freshly baked sourdough bread. Bloody butcher grits from Wade’s Mill—Virginia’s oldest continuously operating grist mill—meet shaved brussels sprouts in a dish that’s so unbelievably creamy that you’d be shocked to learn it’s vegan. A plate-sized katsu-style pork chop sits atop smoky local carrots for a bite that’s stunningly balanced thanks to a drizzle of sauerkraut aioli, which the chef makes with his mother each year using locally grown cabbage.

Tonic prides itself on creating an “unpretentious” atmosphere, and that’s a promise you can count on whenever you step through its doors. Diners are encouraged to eat family-style with their companions for good reason—there is a tearing down of walls and an invitation to conversation that naturally happens over a shared plate of delicious food.  

What the Revitalization of the Tutelo Language Will Mean for the Monacan Indian Nation

“A language is not just words. It’s a culture, a tradition, a unification of a community, a whole history that creates what a community is. It’s all embodied in a language.”
– Noam Chomsky

Throughout its history, the Monacan Indian Nation has demonstrated astounding resilience in the face of obstacles orchestrated by those who wish to eradicate its identity. The Monacan community has not only overcome these obstacles, but has also utilized them as opportunities to reclaim and strengthen its identity time and again. To say the least, the journey has been arduous and the victories hard-won, but the Monacan people have continued to reclaim and revitalize the aspects of their identity that have been taken from them. 

One such aspect is the Monacan language, Tutelo, which is in the process of being recreated, restored, and cataloged. The importance of language to a community’s identity cannot be overstated; when a community’s language dies, that community must then use the words—which, as Chomsky said, are never just words—of others to refer to itself. The Monacans’ reclamation of Tutelo is monumental, a fact made even clearer as one learns about the journey that led to this reclamation.

The Monacan Indian Nation is headquartered on Bear Mountain in Amherst County, and its citizens are descended from Eastern Siouan groups from Virginia and North Carolina. The Nation’s efforts to attain state and federal recognition—which it did in 1989 and 2018, respectively—demonstrate the Monacans’ longstanding strength and ability to turn obstacles into opportunities. 

In fact, the earliest documentation of Monacan presence in Virginia—documentation that was ultimately integral in the Nation’s achievement of federal recognition—details the capture of a Monacan man.

“The history of our people dates back to 1608 as far as physical, handwritten proof of us being here in the state of Virginia goes,” said Lou Branham, Director of the Monacan Indian Nation Ancestral Museum. “It goes back to a personal journal kept by Captain John Smith. He ran across a Monacan named Amoroleck, took him captive, and questioned him about the Powhatan Confederacy. This document was very important when it came to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and us getting federal recognition.”

In the 1920s, Dr. Walter Plecker enacted what Branham calls a “paper genocide” of Virginia-based Native Americans by eliminating the option to identify oneself as an indigenous person when responding to the census. Plecker, along with the Anglo-Saxon Clubs of America, persuaded the Virginia General Assembly to pass the Racial Integrity Act of 1924, which stated that it was illegal for whites and non-whites to marry, and which recognized only two racial classifications: “white” and “colored.”

“Plecker was in a position of power—he was the head of Vital Records and Statistics for 32 years—and he believed in eugenics,” Branham noted. “He thought that you were either white or you were colored; to him, no Native Americans existed.”

As a result, Monacan people who moved away—often to marry whom they wanted and to generally escape the rampant racism in the area—would frequently be unable to locate family members upon their return.

The United States Supreme Court overturned the Racial Integrity Act in 1967, thus allowing Native Americans in Virginia to marry whom they chose and to change their birth certificates—for a fee, until 1997—to accurately convey their identities.

“When we went for state recognition, we had to mail off our birth certificates,” recalled Branham.
“If we hadn’t gone for state recognition, we never would have known that that documentation had been changed.”

Branham chooses to see Plecker’s contemptible actions as a catalyst in the Monacan Nation’s journey to fully reclaim its identity.

“I’m a firm believer that in our walk in life, we have ups and downs and many side roads that are taken,” she stated. “Plecker was just a part of the plan that happened to happen to the Monacan people.”

Branham’s father, Ronnie, started the Monacan tribe as an entity along with his first cousin and founder of the Monacan Indian Nation Ancestral Museum, Phyllis Hicks. Ronnie Branham was the first elected chief of the Nation, and Hicks was an ordained minister who pastored the church that resides on the Monacans’ seven-and-a-half acres of land alongside the tribal schoolhouse (once used as both a school and a community meeting space) and the museum.

“This land is the heart and soul of our community,” said Branham. “If you take this away, it’s almost like ripping a heart away from a body. The history of generations and generations of our family—of kids playing in the creeks and running through the woods, of people going to the church and the school and attending functions—is here. Here I promote no negative energy. Everything here is positive for me because this has always been a positive and peaceful place in my life.”

As the Monacan Nation’s recent federal recognition continues to open doors to various government programs—including a community health services program that will be open to Native Americans from any tribe and to community members who are Medicaid and Medicare recipients—the restoration of the Tutelo language has come to the forefront.

The process was initiated by the late George Whitewolf, who was a Monacan medicine man, in 2000. According to Branham, Whitewolf spent a great deal of time with the Lakota tribe and shared their language, Lakhota, with the Monacan tribe upon his return. These interactions prompted further research of Lakhota and other Siouan languages, and the Monacan people ultimately discovered that they spoke Tutelo.

The near-extinction of Tutelo resulted largely from colonization. Additionally, the last native speaker passed away around the year 2000.

“A lot of it had to do with colonization and eugenics,” Branham noted. “The United States’ political ideology of things is that they wanted to colonize Native Americans and make them conform to non-Native ways.”

A group of historians and linguists, led by indigenous historian and language activist Dr. Marvin Richardson of the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe, is working with Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages to create a Tutelo-Saponi Monacan Living Dictionary. This online dictionary is accessible to the general public and continues to grow at a steady pace.

“We’ve got to recreate words and grammar,” stated Branham. “We’re currently working on creating words and phrases, but it’s hard to do the verbs right now. We actually have about 700 entry words so far, but by the end of 2023, we hope to have 3,000.”

For Branham, the revitalization of Tutelo is important on both a personal and a wide-scale level.

“When I was little, I remember my grandmother using certain words and phrases, and my father would say, ‘You can’t teach her that,’” she recalled. “My great-grandmother said, ‘If we spoke our language, we could risk having our homes burnt down.’ I think it’s a shame that you have to live in fear just because you have different cultural beliefs and speak a different language.”

As Branham continues to build bridges with community organizations to raise awareness of and garner support for the Monacan Indian Nation, she is excited to see the bridge between the Nation’s past and future become fortified by Tutelo’s return.

“It’s going to open up a new world from the old world,” she said. “It’s our old, traditional language, but to so many it’s going to be something that’s brand new.”  

Photos courtesy of Mitchell Bryant

Lynchburg Living Editor Megan Williams: You’ve been seriously pursuing photography since you were in the 10th grade; were you initially interested in adventure and landscape photography?

Mitchell Bryant: The outdoors was often the subject of a lot of those early photographs as I didn’t know what I was doing. I could practice by myself and learn with no real boundaries. I’d grab my camera, go for a walk behind our house, and shoot through a roll of film. Now, my love for the outdoors is a much more holistic endeavor. I love being in nature. My camera has become a faithful hiking/backpacking partner throughout the years and one that I lean on to retell the stories in vivid detail. 

MW: Who or what has most inspired you, or driven you forward in your growth as a photographer?

MB: In the early parts of my career I religiously followed Jeremy Cowart. He had such a creative and innovative approach to image-making, while maintaining such a lovely balance of technical prowess and experimental creativity. I learned a lot from his images and continue to follow his work closely today. 

One of my favorites to keep up with is painter and traditional artist Mark Maggiori. His method of reproducing massive landscapes with impeccable detail and visceral color leaves me scratching my head often saying, “How?!”

Another no-brainer follow is Chris Burkard. 

MW: How do you approach your outdoor/adventure/travel photography? Do you set out with a specific vision in mind, or do you tend to capture moments that are more spontaneous or real-time?

MB: If I’m traveling to a new place, I’m like a kid seeing the world for the first time. Almost everything is image-worthy. I want to remember it all, and some of it might be considered art. When I return to a place, experience or environment that I love, I’m much more particular and premeditated. There are certain aspects of that adventure or that story that I want my viewers to experience and “remember” even if it’s something they’ve never experienced. That often involves wide context imagery, action/journey of some kind, and, of course, my layered, textured, patterned, artful landscapes. 

MW: In your opinion, what makes a good photograph?

MB: Technically speaking there are rules, a prescription of aesthetics that you can follow, like many art forms, that are the “compositional elements of a great, technically sound photograph”. Those elements come together to create a well-structured, beautiful, pleasing image.

Great photography is found at the intersection of innovation, expertise, courage, and creativity—knowing everything you “should do” and daring to abandon that appropriately. My favorite images (and most art for that matter) transport us to another time and place where presence—the power of here and now—is visceral and transformative.

MW: Looking back at your work, what are some of your favorite photographs that you’ve shot? What makes them special to you?

MB: I’m big on Type 2 fun (look it up). Any images that help me recall a certain moment, adventure, or experience of course have a special place in my book. My wife can tell you I’m constantly scrolling through my phone looking through old photographs and laughing, or sighing, or saying, “Oh man look at this, wow that was 2015?!” It is absolutely one of my favorite things. My friends and family probably get tired of me taking over the TV so I can Airplay an image and tell them about what was going on again and again. 

Also in terms of favorites or images that are special to me—anytime someone seeks out my work for a large print in their home or workspace—that is the ultimate compliment. 

MW: Do you have any photos or styles that you want to explore? Where do you see your photography going from here in terms of subject and style?

MB: This is fun for me to think about. In the future I want to involve my family more. Photography can tend to be a solo venture. I want my boys in particular to find a love and appreciation for this world and a love and respect for all of nature’s beauty and the people within it. If I could bottle the reactions my boys have, their wonder and imagination running rampant, and pour that all over my images, I’d be doing just fine.

The work I want to focus on involves being outside more and more. There is a lot left to be explored in that regard. 

I’m also working on having more of my images printed/installed on a massive scale, whether that be in retail spaces, custom residential builds, or hospitality projects.  

What makes a great lawyer? While impeccable communication skills and high intelligence are a part of the equation, truly great lawyers also earn a respect that follows them out of the courtroom and into the community.

Top Lawyers of Greater Lynchburg is the result of a comprehensive peer-to-peer survey, facilitated by DataJoe Research Company.

Read on to see who lawyers themselves recommend in 23 specialties.

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Summary.  To create the list, Lynchburg Living contracted DataJoe Research to facilitate an online peer-voting process and Internet research process.  DataJoe Research is a software and research company specializing in data collection and verification, and conducts various nominations across the United States on behalf of publishers.  To create the list, DataJoe Research facilitated an online peer-voting process. We paired this with an Internet research process to identify success characteristics. DataJoe checked and confirmed that each published winner had, at time of review, a current, active license status with the appropriate state regulatory board. If we were not able to find evidence of a lawyer’s current, active registration with the state regulatory board, that lawyer was excluded from the list.  In addition, we checked available public sources to identify lawyers disciplined for an infraction by the state regulatory board. These entities were excluded from the list.  Finally, DataJoe presented the tallied result to Lynchburg Living for its final review and adjustments.  

Final note.  We recognize that there are many good lawyers who are not shown in this representative list. This is only a sampling of the huge array of talented professionals within the region. Inclusion in the list is based on the opinions of responding lawyers in the region. We take time and energy to ensure fair voting, although we understand that the results of this survey nomination and Internet research campaign are not an objective metric. We certainly do not discount the fact that many, many good and effective lawyers may not appear on the list.

Disclaimers. DataJoe uses best practices and exercises great care in assembling content for this list.  DataJoe does not warrant that the data contained within the list are complete or accurate. DataJoe does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions herein whether such errors or omissions
result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. All rights reserved.
No commercial use of the information in this list may be made without
written permission from DataJoe.

Questions?  For research/methodology questions, contact the research team at surveys@datajoe.com.

One Family’s Journey to Preserve History

We want to figure out who the enslaved were,” Sophie Taylor resolutely said. Clad in duck boots and flannel, she leaned across the granite kitchen countertop—the newest element in her home by about a century—as she poured over census records, family trees, and local history books.

That journey—one that began in March of 2021 when she and her husband, Mike, purchased the Ivy Cliff estate—really began much longer ago, in 1772.

Ivy Cliff was built by Revolutionary War hero Captain Henry Brown, who completed three terms in the Continental Army and served under Colonel Charles Lynch. It’s estimated that the Brown family acquired the Ivy Cliff tract of land—3,400 acres in total—in 1755, with the brick Federal style home being built and completed by the late 18th century.

The 4,900-square-foot home features sweeping 10-foot ceilings, original long plank wood floors, and ten fireplaces in total. Historical records show that the home originally had more rooms than what stand today, but all that remains of them is a swath of exterior wall that stretches from the east side of the home.

Captain Brown and his wife had six children together, all of whom were raised at Ivy Cliff, and the property remained in the Brown family until the 1920s.

Ivy Cliff, which at one time was referred to as Otter Hills plantation, was a booming tobacco farm.

“We found a census from September 1860 that shows 29 enslaved men and women on the property at the time,” Taylor said. “Thirteen men and sixteen women. Though it’s certainly possible that more than that were living here under a different owner’s name. We found evidence that there were six different enslaved dwellings on the property at one time.”

One of those dwellings is still standing today, downhill and largely out of view from the main house. 

The enslaved cabin is a “dogtrot” style cabin, which means that it’s essentially two separate cabins connected by a breezeway. The west side of the cabin was completed in 1810, with the east side of the cabin following shortly after in 1830.

“There are four separate rooms in the cabin, but we’re not sure if four different families lived in this one cabin, or if the rooms were separated by males and females,” Taylor explained.

When the Taylor family purchased the property in 2021—a pandemic move from Florida—they knew that there was a rich history behind the property, which had been meticulously preserved by previous owners. But the surprise came from how much the community became invested in its history.

“There are so many people in this town who love history,” Taylor recounted. “They saved everything and gave it back.”

Since they arrived at Ivy Cliff, neighbors have been “returning” pieces of property history that had been salvaged over the years. From the original louvered shutters, which a neighbor salvaged when a previous owner remodeled, to Independent State of the Congo coins circa 1888, which were dug up on the property, neighbors and history buffs alike have flocked to Ivy Cliff to return memorabilia and help piece the history together.

Part of connecting those dots was ensuring that the history remained preserved.

In 2022, the Taylors made great strides in ensuring the entirety of their property—now 17.3 acres of the original 3,400—became a historical site. They worked with Preservation Virginia, a nonprofit organization that sustains Virginia’s historic places through leadership in advocacy, education, revitalization, and stewardship, to have the slave dwelling added to the “Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Places” list.

In Virginia, extant dwellings of enslaved people are rare and often overlooked. Constantly subject to time, elements, and lack of resources of the property owners, many have fallen into ruin or vanished from history altogether.

“Having this Preservation Virginia designation helps us advocate for resources and grant funding,” Taylor explained.

In addition to the Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Places list, the Taylors applied for the Threatened Sites Program with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, which offers emergency funding for archaeological sites endangered by erosion or other factors like impending development or vandalism.

That grant, in particular, connected the Taylors with local engineering and surveying firm, Hurt & Proffitt.

“We had Hurt & Proffitt out with their archaeology team completing a site survey of the hillside with the extant cabin searching for likely locations of the other slave dwellings,” Taylor explained. “They are still studying the thousands of artifacts found at their lab at Historic Sandusky.”

Shovel tests and test unit excavations were completed by the Hurt & Proffitt team, which runs the only engineering student lab in the state.

Every artifact found around the slave dwelling as well as the surrounding land where other dwellings may have stood were bagged in acid-free bags for storage and identification.

“The most significant findings were the ones that couldn’t be bagged,” said Jess Gantzert, Hurt & Proffitt’s laboratory director. “We found quartz cornerstones, which were religiously significant [to the enslaved] as well as a number of Hoodoo markings on the enslaved cabin.”

In addition to the cornerstones and markings, the Hurt & Proffitt team was able to collect nails, bricks, bottle glass, pottery, and window glass, all of which will help them begin painting the picture of the everyday lives of the enslaved living on the property.

“We have the technology now to identify what type of liquid bottles used to hold,” Gantzert explained.

“So we will be able to determine if they held medicine, drinks, or liquids that were significant to their
Hoodoo culture.”

While processing and identification is still ongoing, the Taylors and the Hurt & Proffitt team are hopeful that the history of the enslaved people on the property will start to be told.

“We are able to use archaeology to find and tell the stories of the people who weren’t considered people,” Gantzert said.

“Our plans include a complete renovation of the cabin with the intention of sharing it with local school groups as a means of learning local Virginia history,” Taylor furthered. “Due to the historical importance of the cabin, we want to ensure that any renovation is completed with special care, which is why we are seeking the assistance from historical architects, archaeologists, contractors, and stone masons.”

Under the Taylors’ care and stewardship, the story of Ivy Cliff continues to unfold with the hopes of one day identifying the names of those who were enslaved on the property and reconstructing their stories.  

If you’re a Lynchburg native, are familiar with Ivy Cliff’s history, and have information that may help,
reach out to the 501(c)(3) that the Taylors established at https://ivycliff.wixsite.com/ivycliff.

A Guide to Etiquette for the 21st Century

Imagine, for a moment, that you’re invited to dinner with Catherine, princess of Wales. Immediately, your Google search bar would be full of questions, such as “How should I curtsy?” or “Which fork should I use, and at what time?”

When formal affairs arise, the questions of etiquette come along with them. Luckily (or unluckily) for most of us, we won’t be invited to Kensington Palace anytime soon, so we can rest easy and save the curtsy lessons for a later date.

However, there are a few modern etiquette tips and techniques that you can keep in your back pocket for galas, formal dinners, dinners with the in-laws, or even just everyday conversations.

At the Table

Dining Etiquette

Proper dining etiquette begins before you ever sit down at the table. In fact, it begins before you even arrive at your dining location.

If you’re invited to a dinner party, RSVP to let your host know you will or won’t be attending, even if an RSVP isn’t specifically requested. And don’t show up empty-handed. A simple host gift like a bottle of wine or a beautiful set of linen napkins from a local shop are all that’s needed to let your host know you appreciate being included.

Approaching the table, keep an eye out for place cards that note assigned seating. If none exist, politely ask your host if they have a preference on where everyone sits.

Once you and everyone else at the table are seated, place your napkin in your lap. If you need to excuse yourself from the table, place the napkin on your seat rather than back on the table.

Table Setting Etiquette

If you’re hosting a more formal dinner or dining at an upscale restaurant, you may be faced with several plates, glasses, and utensils. An easy trick for which plates and glasses go where is to remember “BMW.” Bread plates go to the left, meal plates remain in center, and wine and water glasses are on the right above the utensils. Another easy trick for remembering what side forks, spoons, and knives go on is this: “Fork” has four letters, and “left” has four letters. So, forks are placed to the left of the center plate. “Spoon” and “knife” have five letters, and “right” has five letters, so spoons and knives are placed to the right.

On the Phone

Texting Etiquette

We know, we know, no one really talks on the phone anymore when so much can be communicated over text. However, even when texting, there are some modern manners rules that can be applied.

For starters, even though it’s easy to dash off a text when a thought hits you, consider the time of day that you’re sending it. Work-related text messages should be sent during regular office hours, and personal text messages should be sent when you’re certain your friends or family are awake. For example, if you know your friend is an early riser and would enjoy a cheerful message from you in the morning, it’s okay to shoot a text at 7 a.m. However, if you know your friend works a late shift and your text may wake them up, wait until a more reasonable hour to reach out.

Perhaps the most courteous of texting etiquette is this:
Don’t text when you’re talking face-to-face with another person. Whether you’re catching up with a friend or checking out at a store, give the person you’re face-to-face with your full attention. 

Call Etiquette

As a rule of thumb, silence or turn off your cell phone when you enter a theater or a place of worship unless you’re on call for your job. In which case, you should turn your phone to vibrate to create as little disturbance as possible.

If you do receive a phone call that you have to take, discreetly excuse yourself from the space before you answer the call.

If you take a call in a public space, such as a grocery store, keep your voice low and avoid sharing personal information.