Special for The Press and Standard
The Robert Davidson Building, status on the petition for Federal Tribal Recognition, and the impacts of current community development will be discussed during the annual meeting and homecoming celebrations of the The Edisto Natchez-Kusso Tribe. State and local representatives are expected to attend from 11:00 to 2:00 on October 14 at the headquarters building, 1125 Ridge Road, Ridgeville S.C.
“Work on The Robert Davidson Building is progressing due to all the collaborative support we have been receiving from our legislative delegates, the Dorchester County Council, especially chairman Jason Ward and Ms. Julia Byers, “said Chief John Glenn Creel.
In-kind corporate and community volunteers have also contributed many hours toward completion of the center.
“I continue to serve on the Dorchester Heritage Center board of trustees and look forward to developing the museum and hope to have a good representation of our tribal communities in that project also,” Chief Creel said. This year’s local Pow Wow was held in conjunction with the Center.
Chief Creel said the tribe is working with an anthropologist to put together the federal petition through the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). Representative Nancy Mace has introduced a bill for tribal recognition before the 117th Congress that has stalled in the indigenous peoples committee.
“We always had intentions of doing the DOI process but, we had great hopes that we could get Federal recognition quicker through the legislative process. The objective is to acquire land around our Tribal area before it is lost to developers,” Chief Creel said.
Prior to homecoming, tribal families are invited to Family Folder Day on October 7 from 10:00 to 2:00 to update membership data needed for the Federal Recognition application.
The public is invited to attend the annual homecoming celebrations.
For more information contact: Sabrina Creel, 843-599-8489 or Rebecca Lee-Grigg 843-599-8481
