Detail the long and determined journey of the Catawba Nation toward federal recognition, emphasizing legal battles, community activism, and the significance of this milestone for tribal identity and rights.
Uncover the often overlooked stories of Native American involvement during the Revolutionary War in South Carolina, highlighting their strategic roles and impact on the war effort. This program is part of the “Revolutionary Perspectives – Speaker Series” supported by the South Carolina American Revolution Sestercentennial Commission
A tribute to Native American service members from South Carolina and beyond, focusing on their roles and sacrifices in the US military throughout history, including contemporary service.
An overview of the recognized tribes in South Carolina, the history of their state and federal recognition efforts, and the importance of official recognition for tribal sovereignty and cultural preservation.
Explore the rich history and culture of the Native American tribes native to South Carolina’s Lowcountry region. This talk highlights their traditions, resilience, and ongoing contributions to the cultural fabric of the area.
The lecture explores the history of the Lower Town Cherokees in Upstate South Carolina as one of five regions of the Cherokee Nation. It details how they lost their territory in the 1700s and explores where the people went thereafter. The complex nature of Cherokee culture and government lay the foundation for the talk. When … Read more
The State of South Carolina recognizes several Pee Dee Tribal entities in Eastern South Carolina. Since Colonial times, the name Pee Dee has appeared in numerous historical records, but we know so little about them. This lecture illustrates what is known historically and archaeologically regarding the Pee Dee Indians.
Named for a Native American group who appear in colonial records for the first time in 1691, generations of historians, ethnohistorians, and archaeologists have lamented the meager data that exist regarding the Congaree Indians. This lecture provides an overview of the Congaree, addressing the possibility they are descendants of the Chiefdom of Cofitachequi, visited by … Read more
The Cheraw Indians of the Carolinas were an important entity in the Colonial era. In this lecture, Judge will discuss an ethnohistoric process to identify the cultural affiliation of two individuals interred at the Johannes Kolb Site, in Darlington County, South Carolina. He traces the movement of the Cheraw across the Piedmont of North Carolina … Read more
This lecture presents archaeological data on Native American cultures since the last Ice Age. From the coast to the mountains, archaeological evidence abounds in our state. This lecture looks at the sites and artifacts that tell the history of the state’s Indigenous peoples prior to the arrival of Europeans. The lecture can be tailored to … Read more
Exploring Cherokee culture prior to European settlement is crucial to comprehending their values, gender roles, internal and external relationships, diplomacy, and conflict during this pivotal era in Cherokee history. The audience will learn how Cherokees dealt with European colonization, their relationships with South Carolinians and the British, and how they responded to the American Revolution … Read more
Exploring the worldview of the Cherokees provides insights into the events that occur as colonists of South Carolina begin to discuss grievances with the rule of Great Britain. Experiences in the French and Indian War (1754-63) had affected Cherokee diplomacy and their alliances. As some colonists begin to fight for their independence, some Cherokee leaders … Read more
The Cherokee Trail of Tears story is one of political discord and ensuing tragedy as Cherokees faced removal from their homeland in the 1830s. However, the story begins with wars between South Carolina and the Cherokee Lower Towns in the 1700s. By examining the viewpoints of the Cherokee, the early British colonists, and then the … Read more
As European colonists struggled to create a new nation in the late 1700s, Cherokee families dealt with intrusions into their territory, adaptation to new trade goods that changed their lifestyles, and shifting gender responsibilities and political power. Then they faced having to leave their homes for western territory. Cultural change can bring hardship and heartbreak, … Read more
An exploration of the lives of Cherokee women from the time before Europeans arrived in the Americas to the twenty-first century. Using Cherokee myths, visual images, and artifacts crafted by the hands of Cherokee women, the speaker will weave a story of some of the most powerful women who have walked the earth. Their bravery, … Read more
Kate has written four picture books about our state’s history: Palmetto – Symbol of Courage, about the famous Revolutionary War battle that inspired the color and symbols on our beautiful state flag; Francis Marion and the Legend of the Swamp Fox, the story of South Carolina’s most famous Revolutionary War hero; Almost Invisible – Black Patriots of the … Read more
Talk about a hiking challenge! How about a 500 mile wilderness trek, without food, fire, or weapons, in early winter and while wearing a summer dress? Captured by a Shawnee war party in the French and Indian War and taken more than 450 miles from her home to what is now Cincinnati, Mary Ingles escaped … Read more
