South Carolina
Community meetings, gatherings, classes and celebrations, and the tribes and organizations behind them, all in one place so you can find your community.
Population is the 2020 Census count of people identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native alone or in combination, rounded down to the nearest thousand. Rank uses the same count. Tribe totals reflect headquarters and official state recognition; federal and state counts may overlap. South Carolina recognizes ten tribes, plus three Indian groups that are not counted as tribes.
Listings last reviewed October 30, 2026.
Other statesWhat's happening in South Carolina
Events appear once the host announces the date and come down after the last day.
- Nov7Powwow
Waccamaw Indian People Cultural Arts Festival & Pauwau (34th year)
Waccamaw Tribal Grounds, 591 Bluewater Rd., Aynor · free parking, camping on site · Host's page - Nov14Powwow
Sumter Tribe of Cheraw Indians Pow Wow
Sumter County Museum, 122 N. Washington St., Sumter · open to the public · Host's page - Nov21Celebration
Native American Celebration
Hagood Mill Historic Site, 138 Hagood Mill Rd., Pickens · $7 ages 10+, 9 and under free · 10 a.m.–4 p.m. · Host's page
Tribes & organizations
Tribes and organizations can claim their listing for free to keep it current and connect their public calendar.
Federally recognized tribes headquartered in South Carolina
Catawba Nation
State-recognized tribes
South Carolina recognizes ten tribes. It also recognizes three Indian groups, listed separately below, which are not counted as tribes.
Beaver Creek Indians
Eastern Cherokee, Southern Iroquois and United Tribes of South Carolina
Edisto Natchez-Kusso Tribe of South Carolina
Pee Dee Indian Nation of Upper South Carolina
Pee Dee Indian Tribe
Piedmont American Indian Association Lower Eastern Cherokee Nation of South Carolina
Santee Indian Organization
Sumter Tribe of Cheraw Indians
Waccamaw Indian People
Wassamasaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians
State-recognized Indian groups
South Carolina's own category. These groups are recognized by the state, but not as tribes.
Chaloklowa Chickasaw Indian People
Natchez Tribe of South Carolina
Pee Dee Indian Nation of Beaver Creek
Urban and intertribal organizations
South Carolina Native American Affairs
Pine Hill Indian Community Development Initiative
American Indian Chamber of Commerce of South Carolina
Little Horse Creek American Indian Association and Cultural Center
Community resources
Community centers, health and family services, elder and youth programs, and job training for Native people.
Catawba Service Unit
Catawba Nation Family Services
Education & culture
Indian Education programs, tribal colleges and university programs, museums, language programs and research resources.
Catawba Cultural Center
Native American Studies Center
Featured businesses Coming soon
Need a mechanic, an accountant or a contractor? When you can, choose a Native-owned business. It keeps money working in our communities. A badge means Auntie Knows Native verified the business, and badges are added after a free verification.
Business listings open soon. Listings for South Carolina businesses, sorted by category and the counties each business serves, are on the way. Send us your business now, and Native-owned businesses can apply for a free badge.
Advertise hereTracing Native ancestry in South Carolina
Where to look for Native American genealogy records in South Carolina.
"Ay, jitos, South Carolina records may call the same families by different names. Start with your relatives and counties, then compare state archives, church and census records with the records kept by the tribe or community your trail points to."
- South Carolina Department of Archives and History: Native American resources
- South Carolina Department of Archives and History: research and genealogy
- Native American Studies Center and W. Brent Burgin Archives
- Catawba Cultural Center: archives and research
- National Archives: Indian Census Rolls, 1885–1940
- FamilySearch: South Carolina Indigenous Peoples research guide