Coharie Intra-Tribal Council

Inclusive Public Art Initiative

Coharie Intra-Tribal Council, in Clinton, NC, received an Inclusive Public Art Initiative grant from ZSR.

The Coharie Indians descend from the Indigenous Neusiok Indians and are currently one of eight state-recognized tribes in North Carolina. Historical movements initiated by both inter-tribal and colonial hostilities caused the Coharie to move to their present location between 1729 and 1746, and since that time they have lived continuously as an Indian Tribe at or around the banks of the Great and Little Coharie Rivers.

Throughout the 1800s, the Coharie built a political base in Sampson County, which allowed the Tribe to establish its own school for Coharie children in 1859. In 1911, the North Carolina Legislature allowed the Coharie to create their own school system but then rescinded that decision in 1913. As a result of tribal advocacy, however, the Coharie school system was reinstated just four years later.

In 1943, East Carolina Indian School (ECI) was established as the only high school that served NC Indian students in a seven-county area around Sampson County. The original ECI building now serves as the current Coharie Tribal Administrative Offices.

While the Tribe strives for unity and solidarity amongst the American Indian tribes in NC, when American Indian history is taught, if at all, the differences in the lived experiences and unique contributions of each tribe is lost. ECI is unique to the Coharie’s story as it not only served Coharie children but was open to all American Indian students, with children being bussed into Clinton from surrounding counties. Some traveled independently from as far away as Person County and stayed with local families during the week so that they could attend school. Post-integration, the Coharie appealed to the local government for the return of the ECI building to use as a tribal center. The story of the ECI is one of the many they wish to highlight.

For the Coharie, stories are one of the best ways to bring people together. Coharie stories are told and retold around meals, around the quilting table, in the gardens and on the banks of Coharie River. Commencing with oral history collection, they will engage elders in sharing history and experiences including those of segregation and integration, veteran affairs, cultural programming and the spiritual and cultural significance of the Great Coharie River. There is urgency for this work in the wake of the pandemic, during which the Tribe lost many elders.

This community engagement will result in a public art storytelling project rendered through sculptures and murals at the Coharie Tribal Center, visible from well-traveled U.S. Highway 421. Taking the creative lead on the project is Coharie artist Keith Carter, who will work in collaboration with other local artists. Representation and visibility are of central importance to the proposed artwork, and they believe this work is an opportunity to foster greater understanding of the Coharie People, and shout “we are still here.”