Photo: Native American child dressed in traditional tribal attire
November is Native American Heritage Month.
This month's Periscope takes a look at the national and local importance of Native American heritage. We celebrate the first South Carolinians and the first Americans. The observation began as "American Indian Day" in 1915. Prior to that, Red Fox James, a Blackfeet Indian, rode horseback across the United States seeking support for the event. His 4,000 mile trip covered 24 states. Native American Heritage Month is now an official observation.
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Pictured here is the former Santee Indian School. Before its integration, many Native Americans had to attend segregated "Indian" schools. View more on "Indian" schools and integration in Varner Town...
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In the 1970s, the Natchez-Kusso Tribe took the name "Edisto" in honor of the river central to the lives of their ancestors. Edisto communities can be found near the river at Four Hole Swamp, Creeltown...
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The histories of Native Americans in South Carolina also have much in common. Beginning in the early 1500s, European colonization meant disease, enslavement and loss of land for most Indian people...
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Most members of the Pee Dee Indian Nation now live near the South Carolina towns of Cheraw and McColl. The Pee Dee Indians continue to show a dedication to their land and the people near it. During...
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The Drum Circle symbolizes the heart beat of the earth. Thunderous powwow drums, sometimes called community drums, are made of wood and have heads of elk, moose, buffalo, horse, or cow. Native...
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One of the most important parts of a powwow is dancing. Dancers in fancy costumes perform steps to songs of the drum circle. Sometimes different tribes, or Indian Nations, dance together. This is...
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Oconostota: The original site of Echota was flooded while building a lake, but prior to its loss, archaeologist John Green discovered the grave site of the legendary war chief, Oconostota. Photo...
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So what became of the once grand Cherokee nation? In 1830, the United States Congress passed the Indian Removal Act. The government of the United States wanted to move Native Americans from land in...
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Traditional Dances have been passed down many generations. The dances often represent a hunter as he stalks his prey, or a warrior looking for his enemies. Many of these dances originated with Native...
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Fancy Dances are more lively, colorful, and exaggerated. These dances began in the 20th century as different tribes around the country started meeting through powwows. The dancers shared moves and...
