The Tawacomen Tribe is guided by a council of citizens committed to protecting the rights, history, and identity of Native descendants whose lines were scattered, erased, or denied enrollment. Our council operates independently of U.S. government oversight and follows the founding vision of creating a home for those turned away from their ancestors’ nations.
Founding Chief, Tawacomen Tribe
Chief Mekhowanen Pemchis hails from the Patawomeck people and is verified through Patawomeck Tribal Historian Bill Deyo and genealogist Crystal T. Davis. He formed the Tawacomen Tribe to provide a place for Native Americans who could not register with their ancestral tribes due to lost records, erasure, or generational breaks in enrollment.
Council Relations & Outreach
Larry works directly with citizens, applicants, and outside communities to maintain respectful relations. He helps explain our enrollment goals, cultural mission, and non-blood-quantum policy to people who want to reconnect with their Native ancestry.
Community Outreach & Cultural Preservation
Ice’Shay Penney is an enrolled member of the Tawacomen Tribe and a proud descendant of the Mattaponi and Pamunkey peoples. Born and raised in Alaska, she grew up deeply rooted in Alaska Native culture and community, where she learned the enduring values of resilience, reciprocity, and respect for the land and its people.
After relocating to Washington State during high school, Ice’Shay established her home near the Tulalip Indian Reservation, where she continues to live and raise her five children—enrolled members of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, Tulalip Tribes, and Nez Perce Tribe.
Ice’Shay and her family actively practice First Nations spiritual traditions, honoring their ancestors and walking in balance for the seven generations to come. Through both her personal life and professional endeavors, she remains devoted to serving her communities with compassion, integrity, and purpose—creating pathways for healing, justice, and cultural preservation.