Virginia laws protect all cemeteries and gravesites equally. The same laws prohibiting malicious damage and removal of a body from a grave without proper authorization apply to Native American graves in the same way that they apply to modern cemeteries, family cemeteries, and other unmarked graves. Digging up a Native American grave to collect relics is a felony offense—as is grave robbing in any form. The primary difference with Native American graves is that locating direct descendants for specific gravesites is generally not possible. For that reason, careful consultation is necessary. Official contacts for dealing with addressing Native American graves include the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, the seven federally-recognized tribes (Chickahominy, Eastern Chickahominy, Monacan, Nansemond, Pamunkey, Rappahannock, and Upper Mattaponi) and the four state-recognized tribes (Mattaponi, Nottoway, Cheroenhaka Nottoway, and Patawomeck), and, in some cases, tribes recognized by other states or the federal government.