In the United States much of the history of indigenous tribal people has been erased. For example, when most people think of North Carolina, they think of the Cherokee or perhaps the Lumbee. But there are more – recognized by the state but not on a federal level – that exist in both Carolinas
North Carolina is home to eight distinct state-recognized indigenous tribes, with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Lumbee Tribe holding full federal recognition, supporting a native population that ranks among the largest east of the Mississippi River.
According to research, roughly 125,000 residents identify solely as American Indian or Alaska Native, a number that expands past 300,000 (roughly 3% of the state’s population) when combined with other ethnicities.
The Nationally Recognized Powers
- The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians: Sovereign nation of over 16,000 enrolled members primarily residing on the Qualla Boundary in the state’s western mountains.
- The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina: The state’s largest tribe with approximately 55,000 members centered in the Robeson County region. Following the longest-running recognition campaign in state history, they achieved full federal status on December 18, 2025.
State-Recognized Tribal Communities
The remaining six state-recognized tribes occupy distinct geographical and cultural spaces across the Piedmont and coastal plains:
- Haliwa-Saponi: Enrolling more than 4,000 members primarily located around Halifax and Warren counties (centered in Hollister), this tribe is actively seeking its own federal recognition.
- Coharie: Settled primarily in four distinct communities within Harnett and Sampson counties, including Holly Grove, New Bethel, Shiloh, and Antioch.
- Meherrin Indian Nation: An Iroquoian-language nation traditionally situated along the northeast rivers and the Virginia border.
- Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation: Based largely in the Piedmont region, encompassing Alamance, Orange, and Caswell counties.
- Sappony: Historically tied to the Person County border region alongside Halifax County, Virginia.
- Waccamaw Siouan: Located around the southeastern swamplands and river systems of Bladen and Columbus counties.
South Carolina has a smaller population of indigenous tribal people, but the number of tribes is actually larger than that of North Carolina. The indigenous presence spans thousands of years, anchored today by a population of roughly 50,000 residents of Native American descent and a network of state and federally recognized tribal nations. Historically tied to regional river valleys and coastlines, the state’s modern tribal map consists of one federally recognized nation, nine state-recognized tribes, and several recognized heritage groups.
In a significant display of unified sovereignty, the Catawba Nation and nine state-recognized tribes signed a historic intergovernmental alliance at the South Carolina Statehouse on February 4, 2025, intended to boost mutual economic development, cultural preservation, and lobbying efforts for broader federal recognition.
The Sovereign Power
The Catawba Indian Nation: Based along the Catawba River near Rock Hill, the Catawba (historically Iswa, or “people of the river”) are the only resident federally recognized tribe in South Carolina. Once one of the most powerful Agricultural chiefdoms in the Carolina Piedmont, the nation endured a complex political history—including the termination of their federal status in 1959. Following a 20-year legal battle over ancestral land claims, they successfully forced a $50 million settlement and regained full federal recognition on October 27, 1993. Today, they encompass roughly 3,000 enrolled members.
State-Recognized Tribal Nations
Administered under the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs, nine distinct tribes have obtained official state recognition since 2005:
- Beaver Creek Indians: Primarily based in the Salley region within Orangeburg and Aiken counties.
- Edisto Natchez-Kusso Tribe of South Carolina: Located along the Edisto River basin across Dorchester and Colleton counties, this community is actively pursuing federal acknowledgment.
- Pee Dee Indian Nation of Upper South Carolina: Centered near Little Rock and spanning Dillon and Marlboro counties.
- Pee Dee Indian Tribe: Headquartered in McColl, representing historic Siouan-descendant communities of the state’s northeastern Pee Dee region.
- Piedmont American Indian Association (PAIA) Lower Eastern Cherokee Nation: Based out of Gray Court, preserving the regional legacy of Lower Cherokee bands in the foothills.
- The Santee Indian Organization: Centered in Holly Hill, preserving ancestral lineages linked to the Santee River basin.
- Sumter Tribe of Cheraw Indians: Headquartered in Sumter, officially recognized by the state in December 2012 as descendants of the historic Cheraw people.
- The Waccamaw Indian People: Located around Aynor in Horry County, they became the first tribe to achieve formal South Carolina state recognition in February 2005.
- The Wassamasaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians: Settled around Berkeley County and Summerville, tracking ancestral lineages to early coastal settlement groups.
LGBTQ+ Tribal Voice
In the Carolinas, DeLesslin “Roo” George-Warren is recognized by many as a leading authority on Native American culture, history and language. Born and raised in the tribal region of the Catawba Indian Nation in and around South Carolina, George-Warren also identifies as a part of the LGBTQ+ community. He calls Columbia, South Carolina home, where he lives with his husband. Previously he served as the Special Projects Coordinator for the Catawba Cultural Preservation Project and the Catawba Nation Cultural Center.
These days he travels the country frequently, working with Native American Tribes across the country.
“I’m the language program coordinator for the National Fund, which is a congressionally chartered nonprofit that supports schools in the Bureau of Indian Education system,” he explains. “So I run our language program, and I get to just hang out with awesome schools, doing awesome language work and working with really cool teachers.”
After spending much of his youth and younger adult years living on the Catawba reservation and working with the Catawba Nation Cultural Center (which was established by his aunt in 1989) he made the decision to move to Columbia. He continues to maintain close ties with his family (his grandfather was the assistant tribal chief and his mother was the tribal administrator for a decade) who accepted his sexual orientation without question.
Catawba Culture
“We often say that we come from the land, and sometimes we mean it literally,” George-Warren explains. “A lot of our creation stories talk about coming from the literal land. But I also mean it in terms of our culture, because everything about our culture was created by our ancestors in what we call the Catawba River Valley, like all of the Piedmont along the Catawba River and close by rivers, and so the first thing you get to know about our culture is our pottery.
“If you know anything about the Catawba, you know about our pottery. It is our oldest unbroken tradition. There’s never been a moment in history where Catawbas have stopped making pottery. It’s a tradition that’s passed down generation to generation. We still harvest clay in the way that we have forever and we don’t typically teach people outside the community how to do Catawba pottery, It’s just gorgeous. I highly recommend looking it up.
“One of our potters in the 1990s got the presidential folk arts medal. Unfortunately, she passed away right before she received it. And so her grandson, who was her apprentice, went up to the White House to receive it from Bill Clinton, and so that I mean I think that’s a great place to start. I think the other thing I want people to know about our culture is that we are extremely resilient and adaptive. When you look at the story of Catawba Nation, it’s a story of adaptation to the changing social and political landscape, and our pottery is a great example of that.
Unlike European settlers, the Catawba people often looked towards the women of the tribe for guidance. “We are traditionally matriarchal and matrilineal, and so women have traditionally always had a bunch of power,” he says. “As that stopped being a reality during the 1800s, because of pressure from the outside, Catawba women became kind of the keepers and the holders of our pottery. They turned it from this very utilitarian and ceremonial thing into more of a decorative art. They did that because it was one of the only ways that they could make money and maintain their kind of economic independence. I think that’s a great example of how we’ve adapted over time.”
National Native American Heritage Month events in the Carolinas
The 31st Annual American Indian Heritage Celebration
Date & Time: Saturday, November 21, 2026, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Venue: North Carolina Museum of Art (East Building and Gipson Plaza), 2110 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC
Details: The culminating state festival featuring hands-on activities, cultural booths, tribal demonstrations, artisans, and a grand entry procession with North Carolina’s state-recognized tribes. More information is available through the NC Museum of History.
Annual Native American Celebration at Hagood Mill Historic Site
Date & Time: Saturday, November 20-21, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Venue: Hagood Mill Historic Site, Pickens, SC
Details: A full day of southeastern Indigenous drumming, singing, dancing, storytelling, and live cultural demonstrations — including Catawba pottery, beadwork, basket weaving, flint knapping, Cherokee blowgun techniques, and spear throwing. Handmade crafts are available for purchase. More details can be checked on the Hagood Mill Historic Site Calendar.
Yap Yè Iswà Festival (Day of the River People)
Date & Time: November 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: 1536 Tom Steven Rd., Rock Hill, SC
Details: Traditional Dance & Music: Performances including traditional dances like the Snake Dance, Wild Goose Dance, Hoop Dance, and the closing Friendship Dance, accompanied by a drum circle.
Cultural Demonstrations: Showcases of historic Catawba hand-formed pottery traditions and local customs.
Speakers & Vendors: Presentations from tribal historians and community members, alongside native artists and craft vendors.
Check out their Facebook page and website for more information.
This story is brought to you by Rosedale Health and Wellness and Dudley’s Place.
