♪ ♪ >> Hi, and welcome to this edition of "Connections."

I'm P.A.

Bennett.

They were here before many of our ancestors, and they remain.

Still, who they are as a people is shrouded in misconception and misunderstanding.

The only image most of us have of the Native American is that of the warrior savage we've seen depicted in old TV and movie Westerns.

There are thousands of Native Americans in South Carolina.

Many of them proudly claim membership in a particular tribal group.

>> We're not exactly White.

We're not exactly Black.

We're somewhere in between.

Okay, now, the term other kind of bothers me tremendously, okay, because we're not other.

Other would be like an alien.

We're just a unique, individual people, and most everyone here around us, they'll tell you the same thing in honesty.

We beat to a different drummer.

>> I'm Keith "Little Bear" Brown, Catawba Indian Nation.

>> I'm Chief Anthony Davidson.

I'm from Ridgeville, South Carolina.

My tribe is Edisto Natchez-Kusso.

>> I'm Chief Jan Lewindowsky.

We're from the Sumter area.

Our tribe is the Sumter Cheraw Indians.

>> I am Louis Chavis.

I am the chief of the state-recognized Beaver Creek Indians.

>> I am with the Edisto Indian Tribe from Ridgeville, South Carolina.

>> P.A.

: Native Americans from throughout the region came together for this powwow.

It's an event that serves many purposes.

>> It's a celebration.

It's a time to get together and just enjoy being together with one another.

You make a lot of friends.

You see old friends.

You get to talk about what's going on in our individual communities.

A powwow is a celebration.

It has some spiritual qualities too.

You noticed the smudging, the purification of the circle.

When you enter the sacred circle, that is a reverence that you must adhere to.

It is like a form of worship.

>> Davidson: A powwow is like a homecoming.

We come together to see one another we ain't seen in months or years, to celebrate our culture together, and share it with the public.

We can come dance and laugh.

You'll see after awhile they'll probably have a friendship dance maybe, and we'll dance close to one another, and some of these young people will pass one another.

A boy and a girl will pass one another for the first time and meet.

And once they meet, they may start dating.

That might be another relationship come together.

But a powwow is just a big homecoming for us, but to share our culture with the public.

>> P.A.

: You've met many of the chiefs that attended this powwow.

Chiefs have a really big job.

>> It's like being the mayor of a small town, except we have to worry about who's got electricity and who don't, and who has food and who don't, who gets an education and who don't, that sort of stuff.

And we don't get paid.

None of the chiefs I know of, except the Catawbas, in this state get paid for what they do, and they usually buy their own gas, pay their own motel bills and all that when they go someplace.

There's no authority, but a lot of responsibility.

>> P.A.

: And another big challenge that chiefs often lead is gaining official recognition as an Indian tribe.

>> In South Carolina, I've been asked many times why Indians want to be recognized, why they want to stand apart.

But it's not that we want to stand apart.

It's that we cannot enjoy the rights of common people and American citizens without having recognition.

For example, a lot of my people like to have a hawk feather or an eagle feather to bury with their dead.

It's an ancient and traditional Indian religious rite.

Can't do it in this state.

Can't do it unless you're federally recognized, which puts the federal government in charge of religious freedoms, which is against the Constitution in this country.

So, you know, we've got to fight these issues, and the only way to do it is to get folks, ETV, and other chiefs together and make an issue and fight, and that's what we do.

>> Davidson: You got kids could go to college.

We would have better homes.

Somehow people live in low-poverty homes.

I went in a girl's house just the other day, and she's standing at the sink, and she could fall through her floor.

I got to go in there and try to repair that for her, because she's up there in age.

I got one lady, her house was condemned.

She was raising her grandkids there.

But if we get federally recognized, there's funds that you can help tap in to help get them in decent homes.

It was in the '90s, like '96, '98, when my uncle had his bathroom put in.

You see what I'm sayin'?

Indian people always was in low poverty and always treated bad, like we had some kind of bad disease kicking off from us or something.

I remember when the schools, when the Black and the Indian had to march to get in schools.

I was one of the children that helped march to get in school in Ridgeville, South Carolina.

We got in school, and the teachers taught the Black kids.

They didn't teach us like we were supposed to get taught, and I know why now, in the position I'm in.

If we were to get the education we needed, right now we'd have had lawyers and judges in the position.

We could have easy did research and proved the point that we were Indian people.

>> P.A.

: Native Americans throughout the country and here in South Carolina deal with several critical concerns, including health and education issues.

>> The Indian dropout rate is almost five times as high as the Black or the White, which is kind of surprising to me, but it's true.

But then again, Indians with a college degree is almost five times as high as Blacks or Whites.

I don't know how that works out, but it's true.

Our poverty level is about five times as high as the White people, but it's about the same as the Black.

So for most cases, the Black and Indian run along arm and arm in South Carolina.

I don't know about outside of South Carolina.

So, yes, there's a lot of economic issues, and we need to do more in that area, but the problem with the Indian kids that drop out of school, for example, they have kids, and the kids will end up dropping out of school.

It's kind of like a circle they get into.

And then a lot of the illnesses are common.

High blood pressure is very common, diabetes.

Most all people my age that are Indians have both.

I don't.

Well, I've got high blood pressure, but I don't have diabetes.

But that's pretty, pretty common, and there's got to be something that's-- I think Black people have a lot of high blood pressure too.

There's got to be something about that that we could look into and maybe find a solution to that at some point.

>> Davidson: We have drugs in the area, like anybody else.

We have a lot of alcohol going on.

People hard to find jobs now.

We've got a lot of people that will work, but they're not gonna work for nothing.

You've got to pay 'em decent, or they'd rather go fishing.

But education, our kids will get in the school and get up to the 10th, 11th grade, and drop out because of what people say in school.

They still talk bad about the Indian people, Indian children.

And I'm gonna try to get something set up like where the family can come in to a meeting one quarter of a month, you know, every quarter.

If they come in and talk about what that child is going through in school, maybe we could find something to keep 'em interested in going to school.

>> P.A.

: Many Native Americans believe the laws actually prohibit them from being who they are as artists and as a people.

>> My sister... my sister does pottery like it was done 600 or 700 years ago.

But she was barred up until 2005 from claiming her pottery is Native American Indian pottery because of Public Law 101644, which is a federal law that says you cannot claim your art is Indian art unless you're a member of a recognized tribe.

Indians are the only people that's restricted like that, the only people in this country that have those restrictions.

Well, we just last year got two laws changed in the state.

One of 'em, the law in South Carolina concerning marriages, for example, says that only ministers of the Gospel, select Jewish rabbis, and notaries public may perform a marriage ceremony.

Now, I'm not Christian, and I'm not Jewish.

Why would I have to get a Christian or a Jewish rabbi to do my marriage ceremony?

I'm of the ancient faith, and I believe an Indian should be able to engage in a Hunka or relative-by-choice marriage, whatever you want to call it, through a religion that they believe in.

And so we fought that, and we won it, and it changed.

That's one of them.

There's a lot of issues, though.

>> Brown: Well, you know, our Creator made this earth, and he took the native people, the American Indians as we've become known, as his favorite people and put us on this beautiful continent and this beautiful land, and we've got to recognize the things that the Creator made.

We're still here.

We're still a blessed people.

We're still here, and we have many things to offer as far as our teachings that are connected very much to Mother Earth and to the spirit of everything.

>> P.A.

: A powwow is a festive event.

Recently I visited a powwow that was a wedding too.

[chanting] >> My name is Susan "White Lilley" Little.

I am of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of the Mohicans.

>> P.A.

: And your new husband?

>> I am David "Cloud Walker" Little, and I'm also of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans.

>> P.A.

: Susan and David were joined in marriage by a man with a very famous father.

>> This is indeed a great pleasure for me, and I thank you all for coming out here today to celebrate this wedding with us.

It is a celebration today, and today we will go home knowing that we have been blessed by the Great Spirit, by the Great Mystery.

I'm Chief Steve Silverheels, Seneca Mohawk Indian from the Iroquois Nation.

My dad was Jay Silverheels, who played the part of Tonto on "The Lone Ranger."

>> P.A.

: Steve Silverheels is a minister, and Susan and David's wedding was composed of Native American and Christian elements.

>> Susan: As Native Americans, we have to live both in the White man's world and in the Native American culture.

So as Christians and worshipping God, and our Creator is God-- God created the heavens, the earth-- so we incorporate the Christian ways into-- so people understand that our God is the same God as everybody else's.

>> Silverheels: Well, the headdress is a war bonnet.

Because I'm a preacher, I'm at war with the devil.

That's a Native American-- this is a war bonnet.

We're against evil, and we're for good.

Now, this outfit was made by a dear, dear friend of mine.

He made all the stars' outfits in Hollywood, California.

Nudie made this outfit, Nudie Rodeo Tailors.

But I designed it, and he put it all together.

It has the crosses on it because I'm a preacher and the eagle because of strength that the Lord gives us.

Everything has a purpose for it.

>> P.A.

: Of course not all Native Americans are Christian, but Chief Silverheels says his great uncle's conversion was a miraculous event.

>> Silverheels: He was an alcoholic.

He was a chief, but he was an alcoholic, on the reservation in New York.

He died, was put in the grave, and as they were getting ready to bury him, he arose from the grave.

It's in your history books.

If you look inside, his name was Chief Handsome Lake, a Seneca war chief.

If you look him up in the library, in your libraries, you'll find Chief Handsome Lake.

He died, and he stood up in the grave, came out of it, and then started the first Christian Indian church in the United States of America.

I was an alcoholic and on skid row, but God delivered me from all of that and drugs, and He gave me a new purpose in life, and that's to reach out to touch people's lives with the Gospel.

>> P.A.

: So what is the status of Native Americans in South Carolina?

For example, how many are there?

For answers to that question and more, I talked with Marcy Hayden.

She is the Native American coordinator with the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs.

>>> Miss Hayden, I had the fun of going to a couple of powwows in recent months and talking with Native Americans from around the state.

Let's get some stats here, because I talked with several chiefs and everything.

How many actual numbers, how many people are we talking about in South Carolina who are Native American?

>> Well, according to the American Community Survey in the 2000 Census, we have approximately 13,800 individuals that identify themselves solely as Native American.

In addition to that, we have 30,000-plus individuals that identify themselves as Native American and one other race.

So we're looking at a large number of folks here, approximately 45,000 people, that have been documented on the Census.

Now, as far as South Carolina is concerned, we have a great undercount in our state, especially in the minority populations, and so our office is estimating that Native American population as closer to about 60,000.

>> P.A.

: About 60,000.

Let's talk about how is it determined whether or not you're Native American?

>> Hayden: In South Carolina, we're a little different from some of the states out West that have a lot of the federally recognized tribes that are in reservations and more well organized.

In South Carolina, we use the federal definition that the Census uses, which is any individual that identifies themselves as Native American.

It goes on self-identification.

And as far as we're concerned, with the state-recognized tribes that we have in South Carolina, we ask them to go back and prove a lineage chart to show that they have a common ancestor that is identified as Native American or is assumed to be Native American.

So we go on genealogy and on self-identification in this state.

>> P.A.

: So self-identification and actually finding that person in your lineage that is actually Native American, and that's something that an individual can do themselves or would do themselves?

>> Hayden: Oh, yes, definitely.

And there's also ways through our office that we can assist an individual in looking for their Native American heritage, and there's also genealogists, paid genealogists.

Historical societies love to do this type of work, and the State Archives has been very helpful for a lot of individuals.

>> P.A.

: Let's talk about tribes.

I talked with several people from several different tribes.

How many tribes in South Carolina?

>> Hayden: Currently we have one federally recognized tribe, which is the Catawba Indian Nation.

After that, we have five state-recognized tribes, six state-recognized groups, one special interest organization that is state-recognized, and all total we have 30-plus entities in South Carolina.

Not all of those folks are state-recognized, but some of them are in the process of that.

>> P.A.

: So 30-plus entities that say they are tribes?

>> Hayden: Yes, yes... organized, doing work in their community, having culture events, very active organizations.

>> P.A.

: For several decades now, we've been hearing about Native Americans coming together, reclaiming their heritage, if you will.

We hear all about the casinos in some parts of the country.

What are the pluses of being recognized as a Native American or as a Native American tribe in South Carolina?

>> Hayden: In South Carolina, we have the one federally recognized tribe, the Catawba Indian Nation.

And being that South Carolina is a state that doesn't allow gambling, they are not allowed to have a casino here in South Carolina.

So they find other means to create economic development and community development in their tribe, and I'm not gonna speak to the Catawba because they have their own relationship with the government.

They don't have to go though the state for that relationship.

But as far as the state-recognized tribes, the five that we work with do have a few special entitlements that they get through the state, one of those being the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990.

They are allowed to actually create and sell their artwork as Native American-made artwork, and that's one of the few entitlements they do have.

You know, people have seen on gas stations and all that where they have dream catchers and Indian blankets and different types of things like those.

They're not allowed to say that they are Indian-made because that would be a fraudulent claim.

So what this act entitles them to do is actually say, "This is Native American-made.

It is made by the Santee Indian Tribe of South Carolina, or Santee Indian Organization of South Carolina."

Or "It's made by the Beaver Creek Indian Tribe of South Carolina."

>> P.A.

: I was talking with one of the chiefs, and he was saying that that was important because there are certain birds, for example, that they use their feathers and they can't use them, even though that's a part of their heritage, if they don't have some kind of sanction.

Is that a problem for Native Americans in the arts?

>> Hayden: Yes, it is.

In some cases, it is.

A lot of the federally recognized tribes are allowed to use eagle feathers and hawk feathers, birds of prey, and certain other animals like deer and bear and buffalo and other animals like that.

As far as South Carolina is concerned, we did pass a law this past year, the legislators passed this law, that allows for Native American tribes in South Carolina to sell wild turkey feathers in their art, so that's an improvement for them.

And the good thing about the Artist Act is it allows for these cottage industries to be created in different communities and allow for small business to be engaged.

I think that's very helpful for the Native American communities 'cause most of them are in rural areas, and so this act allows for them to have a legitimate business so they can sell on a national level and be legitimately recognized as Native American artists.

The other good thing that we have in South Carolina is that we have a marriage bill that passed, and this marriage bill allows for any state-recognized chief or spiritual leader-- and state-recognized being that they are a member of an organization that has been recognized through the Commission for Minority Affairs, and that would be the five tribes, six groups, and one special interest organization-- to perform marriage ceremonies, much akin to how a minister would perform a marriage ceremony or any other public official or notary.

>> P.A.

: I don't want to put you on the spot here, but can you name the--you named the federally sanctioned.

What about the tribes that are sanctioned by the state here in South Carolina?

>> Hayden: Oh, yes, ma'am.

We have the Santee Indian Organization, the Beaver Creek Indian Tribe, the Pee Dee Tribe of South Carolina, the Pee Dee Nation of South Carolina, and, um...

I went blank.

>> P.A.

: It'll come to you.

>> Hayden: Oh, the Waccamaw Tribe.

I'm so sorry.

The Waccamaw Tribe.

I was thinking of going along this corridor, and I always kind of try to remember them going down 95 'cause a lot of them are located on that, and the Waccamaw are off towards Myrtle Beach.

>> P.A.

: Okay, so the Waccamaw.

>> Hayden: Yes.

>> P.A.

: Now, you've mentioned two of the pluses or the benefits of being sanctioned Native American in South Carolina.

Are there other benefits?

Education, health, any other?

>> Hayden: Well, right now we're working on a lot of that through our agency.

One of the focuses of our agency is to work on poverty and deprivation and to improve the life of Native American people in South Carolina, as well as other minorities in South Carolina.

Part of our work with the agency is to touch on those issues of health and job creation, education, and those different areas.

At this point in time, the Native American Advisory Committee, which is all the leaders of the state-recognized tribes and a few other individuals that have a vested interest in the Indian affairs of South Carolina, have decided that education is the most important issue and have been focusing a lot on education, as far as improving early programs for reading and those sorts of things in schools, to continue with dropout prevention for Native American students, continuing education, and higher education.

One of the big issues that we have right now is to actually amend the South Carolina curriculum to improve our history that we're teaching all South Carolinian youths in school.

Right now when you open a history book, it's usually two or three sentences: Native Americans were here; they fought with the Europeans; they're dead.

And that's kind of our history that we have in South Carolina, so the leaders have been working very hard to improve those issues and to bring awareness, and that's something that our agency does as well.

So that's kind of what we're working on with the state-recognized tribes.

As far as privileges, right now there is none, besides actually getting your birthright and saying, "I'm Native American."

There's no free scholarship.

There's no check.

There's no casino money or anything like that for South Carolina Native Americans.

We're just able to be part of that artist bill and to perform marriage ceremonies and to claim that birthright and be able to say, "I'm the state-recognized tribe.

I'm Native American.

The state finally recognizes us as being here."

>> P.A.

: You're Native American.

>> Hayden: Yes, I am.

>> P.A.

: And so, personally, why is it so important that the story about Native Americans in South Carolina be told?

>> Hayden: That's a good question.

I was raised Native American.

My dad had always taught us about our heritage and that his family was Cherokee.

And as I got older, we found out that my mom's side was actually Native American, and that's the tribe that I belong to now, is my mom's family's tribe.

And so growing up, I always felt like I didn't fit.

There was always something a little off about where I fit into the world.

And I know a lot of kids go through that type of thing, but this is very common for Native American children.

And once you belong to that heritage and once you find where you fit and you're able to be part of your culture and to understand why your family does the things they do and why you think the way you do and you kind of have this instilled mindset, it just opens this whole window of opportunity for you.

You really feel like a whole person at that point in time.

But then you also have to go through a lot of the struggles of figuring out what to do with yourself when you become that point.

But it's so important for other Native Americans in South Carolina to really start claiming their heritage and bring that forward because we're losing our culture.

Our children are not interested in being part of it.

They're not interested in going to dances.

They're not interested in learning about medicines or how to grow their crops or how to take care of the land.

They're interested in their iPods and MTV and the computer and the Internet and all these other things and being part of the overall society.

Sometimes we say we have to walk in two worlds.

We have to kind of fit into this dominant society and also fit into our culture as well.

But it's important for us to understand because our people have lost just about everything and we've had everything taken away from us.

And in South Carolina, our rivers--you know, most of our history is tied to Native American involvement.

We've had some great wars here in South Carolina.

A Native American war is part of the Revolutionary.

If it wasn't for Native Americans, the Swamp Fox would have never succeeded.

And so this history needs to be told, and it needs to be conclusive.

It needs to be together.

As you tell the story of Francis Marion, tell the story of the Native American folks that were in the community and bring them together and merge them as one history.

>> P.A.

: Miss Hayden, thank you so much.

Great information.

I appreciate it.

>> Hayden: You're welcome.

Thank you.

>> P.A.

: Please continue to nominate a successful, committed, involved young Black man from your area to be profiled here on "Connections."

Send us their names and contact information, as well as two or three people who will vouch for them and be willing to appear on "Connections."

Also send us your digital video spotlighting interesting events and people so that they can receive the recognition they deserve.

We really want to hear from you.

Our address is... And for more information about how you can participate, go to the "Connections" website at www.scetv.org/connections.

Well, that's our show.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Remember, stay connected.

I'm P.A.

Bennett, and I'll see you next time, right here on "Connections."

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