The Indians of North Florida, Chris Sewell & Steven Hill

North Florida’s Mixed-blood Indian People, Rediscovery of a Forgotten People

In the early 1800s, dozens of Siouan-speaking Cheraw families, including Catawbas and Lumbees, fled war and oppression in the Carolinas and migrated to Florida; just as native Appalachicola Creeks were migrating away. Being neither Black nor White, the Cheraw descendants were persecuted by the harsh “racial” dichotomy of the Jim Crow era and almost forgot their proud heritage. Today they have rediscovered their past. This is their story.

Creek Eastern Siouan Cheraw Indians, generally located in the panhandle of Florida. Related groups (Porch Creek, Redbones, Brass Ankles, etc) in which we can establish a surname connection locally or by association later (Mt Tabor Community).

The Apalachicola River Indian Community Conference is a non-profit community-based tribal organization that works for the political, social, legal, and spiritual welfare of the Creek/Eastern Siouan Cheraw Indian people in the panhandle of north Florida. Its focus is to foster tribal cultural identity and unity, documentary historical research into our origins and history, and provide venues for communication, awareness, and growth. We are the descendants of the Indian people who lived in the 3 settlements whose history is documented in the “Our History” part of this website. These are surnames in our community:

Ammons, Ayers, Barnwell, Bass, Bennett, Bird, Blanchard, Boggs, Brown, Bullard, Bunch, Bryant, Brooks, Chason, Chavis, Conyers, Copeland, Davis, Doyle, Goins, Hall, Harris, Hicks, Hill, Holly, Ireland, Jacobs, Johnson, Jones, Kever, Laramore, Linton, Lollie, Lolly, Long, Lovett, Mainer, Martin, Mayo, Moses, Oxendine, Perkins, Porter, Potter, Revell, Rollin, Scott, Simmons, Smith, Stafford, Stephens, Sweat, Thomas, Whitfield, Williams. Read Full Description Here