The Coharie Intra-tribal Council, Inc. is a

state-recognized tribe State-recognized tribes in the United States are Native American tribes or heritage groups that do not meet the criteria for federally recognized Indian tribes but have been recognized by state government through laws, governor's executive orders ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. The headquarters are in

Clinton, North Carolina Clinton ( , ) is a city in and the county seat of Sampson County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 8,383. Clinton is named for Richard Clinton (politician), Richard Clinton, a ...

. Formerly known as the Coharie Indian People, Inc. and the Coharie Tribe of North Carolina, the group's 2,700 members primarily live in

Sampson Sampson may refer to: Military * , several Royal Navy ships * , several US Navy ships * Sampson-class destroyer, a World War I US Navy class * Sampson Air Force Base, near Seneca Lake, New York, closed in 1956 * SAMPSON, a multi-function radar ...

and Harnett counties. The group is believed to have descended "from certain tribes of Indians originally inhabiting the coastal regions of North Carolina." In 1910, residents of Herrings Township along the Coharie creeks identified as being of

Croatan The Croatan were a small Native Americans in the United States, Native American ethnic group living in the coastal areas of what is now North Carolina. They might have been a branch of the larger Roanoke (tribe), Roanoke people or allied with t ...

descent.

Nonprofit organization

In 1978, Coharie Intra Tribal Inc. formed as

501(c)(3) nonprofit organization A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 5 ...

based in Clinton, North Carolina, and Freddie Carter serves as the organization's principal officer. Its mission is to "provide housing, economic development, health, social services assistance and maintenance of the tribal roll for the members of the Coharie Tribe." They have four employees. The organization operates a HUD/ NAHASDA housing project with $557,380 in revenue and $550,186 in expenses for 20 unites. Another program removed debris from the Coharie River after a hurricane, and another provided

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

relief to members. Leadership positions, as of 2019, included: * Executive Director: Greg Jacobs * Chairperson: Freddie Carter.

State recognition

In 1911, North Carolina first recognized the Croatan Indians of Samson County. The state of

formalized its recognition process for Native American tribes and created the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs (NCCIA) in 1971. North Carolina formally recognized the Coharie Tribe of North Carolina as a state-recognized tribe on July 20, 1971. The state recognized the site of their historic tribal school with a

historical marker A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, bearing text or an image in relief, or both, ...

in 2024. Built in 1901, the children of the tribe attended the school for decades due to segregation. The tribal headquarters is now located at the site.

Petition for federal recognition

Romie G. Simmons sent a letter of intent to petition for federal recognition on behalf of the Coharie Intra-tribal Council, Inc., on March 13, 1981. The organization never followed through with a petition for federal recognition as a

Native American tribe In the United States, an American Indian tribe, Native American tribe, Alaska Native village, Indigenous tribe, or Tribal nation may be any current or historical Tribe (Native American)#Other uses, tribe, band, or nation of Native Americans in ...

Activities

The Coharie Indian Cultural

Pow Wow A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native American and First Nations communities. Inaugurated in 1923, powwows today are an opportunity for Indigenous people to socialize, dance, sing, and honor their ...

takes place in every September every year. E. Sequoyah Simermeyer, a member of the Coharie Intra-tribal Council and Navajo descendant, served as a Government Affairs Group Associate with the

National Congress of American Indians The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is an Indigenous peoples of the Americas, American Indian and Alaska Natives, Alaska Native Indigenous rights, rights organization. It was founded in 1944 to represent the tribes and resist U.S. ...

and became a counsel to the assistant secretary in the

US Department of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal lands and natural resources. It also administers programs relating t ...

Bureau of Indian Affairs The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States List of United States federal agencies, federal agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior, Department of the Interior. It is responsible for im ...

in 2007.

Notes

External links