The Monacan are a group recognized as a Native American

Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

 tribe by the state of Virginia in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The Monacan Tribe has not been recognized as an Indian tribe by the federal government. They are located primarily in Amherst County, Virginia

Amherst County, Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 31,894 people, 11,941 households, and 8,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 67 people per square mile . There were 12,958 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile...

 near Lynchburg, Virginia

Lynchburg, Virginia

Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...

. As of 2009 there are approximately 2,000 members of the tribe. There are satellite groups in West Virginia, Maryland, and Ohio.

The contemporary Monacan people claim to be descendants of an Eastern Siouan tribe of American Indians by the same name.