The Waccamaw Indian People is a
state-recognized tribe
State-recognized tribes in the United States are organizations that identify as Native American tribes or heritage groups that do not meet the criteria for federally recognized Indian tribes but have been recognized by a process established unde ...
and
nonprofit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
headquartered in
Conway, South Carolina.
[ 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. They are not ]federally recognized
This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States of America. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes were legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United ...
as a Native American tribe
In the United States, an American Indian tribe, Native American tribe, Alaska Native village, tribal nation, or similar concept is any extant or historical clan, tribe, band, nation, or other group or community of Native Americans in the Unit ...
and are one of two organizations that allege to be descended from the historic Waccamaw
The Waccamaw people were an Indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, who lived in villages along the Waccamaw and Pee Dee rivers in North and South Carolina in the 18th century.Lerch 328
Language
Very little remains of the Waccam ...
tribe, the other being the Waccamaw Siouan Indians, a state-recognized tribe in North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
.
Organization
On October 28, 1992, the organization formed as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, being originally called the Chicora-Waccamaw Indian People.[ ]
Proposed legislation
US Representative Tom Rice
Hugh Thompson Rice Jr. (born August 4, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for . The district serves most of the northeastern corner of the state and includes Myrtle Beach, the Grand Strand, Florence ...
(R-SC-7) introduced HR 1942 Waccamaw Indian Acknowledgment Act in 2021 to attempt to secure federal recognition for the organization.
Activities
The WIP host an annual powwow every November in Aynor, South Carolina
Aynor is a small town in Horry County, South Carolina, United States, south of Galivants Ferry. The population was 560 at the 2010 census and estimated in 2018 to be 934. Aynor High School consistently ranks as one of the best schools in Horry ...
. The Horry County Museum showcased the exhibition ''The Waccamaw Indian People: Past, Present, and Future'' in 2021.
External links
*
South Carolina Commission on Minority Affairs
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waccamaw Indian People
1992 establishments in South Carolina
Cultural organizations based in South Carolina
Horry County, South Carolina
Native American tribes in South Carolina
Non-profit organizations based in South Carolina
State-recognized tribes in the United States