Waccamaw Indian People
State-recognized tribe in South Carolina, United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Waccamaw Indian People is a state-recognized tribe and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Conway, South Carolina.[5][4] The organization was awarded the status of a state-recognized tribe by the South Carolina Commission of Minority Affairs on February 17, 2005 and holds the distinction of being the first state-recognized tribe within South Carolina.[6] The Waccamaw Indian People are not federally recognized as a Native American tribe[7] and are one of two organizations that allege to be descended from the historic Waccamaw, the other being the Waccamaw Siouan Indians, a state-recognized tribe in North Carolina.[8] The two organizations are not affiliated with one another.
Named after | Waccamaw people Waccamaw River |
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Formation | October 28, 1992; 31 years ago (1992-10-28)[1][2] |
Founder | Harold D. Hatcher[3] |
Type | state-recognized tribe, nonprofit organization |
EIN 57-0970329[4] | |
Legal status | school, educational service provider, charity[4] |
Purpose | B90: Educational Services[4] |
Headquarters | Conway, South Carolina[4] |
Location |
|
Official language | English |
President | Harold D. Hatcher[5] |
Website | www |
Formerly called | Chicora Indian Nation[1] Chicora-Waccamaw Indian People[1] |
Members of the Waccamaw Indian People trace their origins to the Dimery Settlement, a tri-racial isolate population once located near Dog Bluff in Horry County, first established during the early 19th century.[9] Members of the organization allege that the Dimery Settlement originated as an 18th-century Waccamaw village.[9] However, existent historical records can presently only demonstrate the settlement as being identified as an indigenous community beginning in the early twentieth century.[9][10]