Pee Dee Indian nation might get federal recognition

After more than a century of being ignored by the U.S. government, the Pee Dee Indian Nation of Upper South Carolina and its 532 local tribal members soon might gain federal recognition.

Claude W. Chavis Jr., the tribal historian of the Pee Dee Indian Nation of Upper South Carolina, is conducting an ethnohistory of the Pee Dee Indians, which consists of five tribes in the Carolinas.

“We have a lot of people that could use help that the federal government would provide,” said Chavis, who has filed a letter with the Bureau of Indian Affairs petitioning for his tribe’s recognition.

Chavis is trying to establish a link between the Pee Dee Indians of earliest written record and those of present day South Carolina, who mostly live in Dillon and Marlboro counties.

Because of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, Chavis said most of 19th century history doesn’t show an Indian presence in the Carolinas.

Chavis, 58, a graduate student at the University of North Carolina-Pembroke, said the Indians were always there, but they had to pass as other races to receive recognition.

“We have the stories,” he said. “We know we were Indian, and we know that we trace back to the Pee Dee tribe because our people have always lived in this area.”

In 2002, the state recognized the Pee Dee Indian Nation of Upper South Carolina, which led to a $35,000 grant last year to help teach children how to use computers.

Receiving federal recognition would lead to much-needed aid to improve education and housing, said Carolyn Chavis Bolton, the tribal chief.

“The federal government has more opportunities for Native American people than the state does,” Bolton said. “We have a lot of uneducated poor people in Dillon County, and I guess that’s all over South Carolina, but the native people have always taken a back seat to other races.”

State Rep. Jackie Hayes of Hamer, who helped the tribe gain state recognition, said federal recognition is “the key factor” for the local Native Americans.

Hayes said if the federal government does recognize the tribe, he would like to see a community center built where children could go for after-school programs and adults could go to work toward earning a high school diploma.

“It will enable them to bring some more programs to the area to educate the Pee Dee Indian Nation,” Hayes said. “They’ve just kind of been left out.”

Chavis began his research two years ago. Since recently being named a Native American Community Scholar by the Smithsonian Institute, however, he now has funding to allow for more extensive research.
The award will cover travel and living expenses for July, Chavis said, which will allow him to go to Washington, D.C., to view census data and help bridge the gap that occurred from 1813 to 1890.

Chavis said the recent aid received from the state has been helpful, but assistance is needed from the federal government for sustainability.

“It would be the difference between living life on hand-outs and being able to grow as a nation and have our children become fully functioning members of the community,” he said.

With much of the research already completed, Chavis said he’s fairly confident it’ll be a success.

Regardless, Bolton said, the challenges her tribe faces will continue.

“I think Claude’s research will be quite helpful,” she said. “But we’re going to have a long road to travel getting recognition. It never has been easy.”