WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE WINYAH
We are the Black River Indian Nation, a small but proud Native American tribe with roots in a multi-tribal remnant community just outside of Greeleyville, South Carolina. Our bloodlines trace back to various historic indigenous tribes of the Carolinas including the Winyah, Cape Fear, Catawba, amongst others. Today, our members primarily reside in the counties of Sumter, Clarendon, Williamsburg, and Georgetown, all along the course of the Black River.
Our tribe has been known by many names over the generations, including the Privateer Indians, the Goins of Williamsburg, the Goins Indians, the Goins Band of Chicora, and the Greeleyville Band of Black River Indians. However, our people now proudly identify ourselves as Winyah, the most popular English rendering of the name our ancestors called the Black River in the eighteenth century.
As a nonprofit organization, we are currently seeking official recognition from the state of South Carolina. We are committed to preserving our traditions and culture, and to sharing our heritage with others. We invite you to learn more about our tribe and to join us in celebrating our history and our future.
Our Mission:
The Mission of the Black River Indian Nation is to preserve, document, and protect various historic sites associated with our unique heritage in our region of South Carolina, as well as to educate our members of their history and ancestral culture. We are commited to revive our cultural practices lost as a result of colonization and seek to educate the general public as to the lifeways of Native Americans in South Carolina, both before and after the period of colonization.
