In 10+ states — including North Cackalack — the second Monday in October is recognized as Indigenous Peoples’ Day . In its honor, we’re bringing you a look at some ways you can celebrate Indigenous folks locally , as well as a way to learn about NC’s 8 recognized Native American tribes.
In WNC
- We recommend checking out “A Living Language: Cherokee Syllabary & Contemporary Art,” which highlights the indigenous language’s legacy as a form of cultural expression + pride. It’s currently on display at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian through Oct. 31. If you can’t make the ~1 hour drive, the exhibit will also show at the Asheville Art Museum from Nov. 19, 2021- March 14, 2022.
- There’s also The Basket , the Center for Craft’s Cherokee Basketry Public Art Parklet project. A collabo between the Center for Craft and members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians , it will be a nod to Cherokee basketry, as well as the Cherokee language, traditions + culture. DYK downtown Asheville (and much of the area) was built on the ancestral lands of the Anikituwahgi (now known as the Cherokee)? Support the project here .
Virtual
- If online is more your speed, check out the North Carolina Museum of History’s 26th Annual American Indian Heritage Celebration . Slated for Sat., Nov. 20 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., it offers opportunities to interact with American Indians from NC’s 8 recognized tribes through live presentations + panels. There’s also a slew of educational videos celebrating the history and culture of our American Indian communities.
Scroll on to learn a bit about each of NC’s recognized tribes.
Eastern Band of Cherokee
- Cherokee, NC near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- NC’s only federally recognized tribe + is governed within the US as a sovereign nation with 14,000+ members. In the 1800s, approximately 16,000 Cherokees were forcibly relocated to Oklahoma.
Coharie
- Harnett + Sampson counties ~1 hour from downtown Raleigh
- Descended from the aboriginal Neusiok tribe and was officially recognized by NC in 1971; currently has ~3,000 members.
Haliwa-Saponi
- Halifax + Warren counties near Rocky Mount
- Recognized in NC since 1965 and currently has ~3,800 members, with 80% living within a 6-mile radius of the town of Hollister.
Lumbee
- Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland + Scotland counties
- With 55,000+ members — NC’s largest recognized tribe and the largest tribe east of the Mississippi River. Currently seeking federal designations through the Lumbee Recognition Act , which was introduced to Congress in 2019 by Rep. G.K. Butterfield.
Meherrin
- Hertford County near the Albemarle Sound
- Closely related to the Iroquois Confederacy, tribe members — numbering ~900 — refer to themselves as “people of the water.” The tribe was officially recognized by the state of NC in 1986.
Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation
- Alamance County ~40 minutes from downtown Durham
- Recognized by NC in 2002 + purchased 25 acres of tribal grounds near Burlington in 2004. The tribe currently has around 1,100 members and is working to revive cultural traditions among the population.
Sappony
- Person County along the Virginia state line
- Recognized by NC in 1911 and VA in 1913 + the only NC tribe whose ancestral lands cross the boundary with another state . At last count, the tribe had approximately 850 members.
Waccamaw Siouan
- Columbus + Bladen counties ~45 minutes from Wilmington
- Also known as “the people of the falling star,” the tribe’s homeland is situated along the edge of the Green Swamp . Officially recognized by NC in 1971 + currently has approximately 2,600 members.
Want to learn more? Check out the following resources:
And, be sure to read our piece
on Joara and Fort San Juan (a.k.a. both the site of a thriving Indigenous village + the oldest inland European settlement in North America).