LANCASTER, S.C. — The Catawba Nation's Office of Tribal Government says it has plans for several acres of ancestral land in South Carolina recently given back to them.
On Thursday, the office announced it had reacquired more than 32 acres of land after the state of South Carolina gave it back to the tribe. The current plan is to apply to have the land taken into trust by the federal government, while also preserving it and working with archaeologists to study the site.
“I appreciate the opportunity to bring to the attention how important discussions and collaborations are in these types of situations,” said Catawba Nation Cultural Director Dr. Wenonah Haire. “I strongly feel that us taking charge of this important site is far better than being granted the opportunity to visit the site. I wish others would understand that it is very important to Tribes that they be given the opportunity to deal with these issues instead of someone else doing things for us, about us but without us.”
The tribal government office says the land is near the Catawba's Reservation and is home to a historic village site. It was discovered as part of a remediation project completed by the South Carolina Department of Commerce.
Once the site's significance was established, the Catawba government says state government representatives reached out to them to negotiate the return of the land. Catawba Nation Chief Brian Harris said in a statement such land restorations are a major step forward to helping rectify past injustices faced by Indigenous tribes.
For many Indigenous communities, these lands hold immense cultural, spiritual, and economic significance. Restoring ownership and control over these lands allows tribes to preserve their cultural heritage, practice traditional ways of life, and exercise self-governance,” he said. “It is essential to acknowledge that the history of Indigenous land dispossession is complex and varies across regions. The return of ancestral lands requires careful attention to legal, historical, and cultural considerations.”
Chief Harris also noted each case involving returning land to tribes can involve unique circumstances and will require specific solutions dependent on what each Indigenous community needs.
“Effort towards land return should be guided by principles of justice, respect, and cooperation," he said. “By recognizing Indigenous rights and returning ancestral lands, societies can contribute to healing historical wounds, fostering reconciliation, and supporting the self-determination of Indigenous peoples.”
The Catawba Nation was federally recognized in 1993. The tribe has lived on ancestral lands along the banks of the Catawba River and has artifacts that date back at least 6,000 years. Before Europeans made contact with the tribe, the Catawba Nation inhabited most of the Piedmont region of South Carolina and North Carolina, along with parts of Virginia.
While the tribe received a title to 144,000 acres of land from King George III of England in 1763, the Catawba Nation notes the land base was drastically reduced over the centuries to the current 630-acre reservation now held in trust for them.
The Catawba Nation's Office of Tribal Government is located in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The ancestral land in Lancaster, South Carolina is located about 47 miles south of Charlotte, North Carolina.