American Indian Culture and Research Journal

Nineteenth-century expansion of the United States moved many Native Americans west of the Mississippi; that series of events concealed the large numbers of these people who remained in their southern homelands. Throughout the southeastern United States particularly are pockets of Native Americans. Most of these groups suffer from their absentee status. These people are often deprived of federal assistance provided their western counterparts, and, because of reduced numbers, less federal assistance, and cultural differences, do not often have the power to overcome their poor circumstances. With the current, national trend toward cultural pluralism and ethnic identity, these absentee groups are struggling more vigorously to regain their identity, respect, and federal attention. This paper examines the case of one absentee Native American band struggling to establish its identity and directions for a more prosperous future, and to project the legal, economic, and other social implications of their situation. Two major sections comprise this paper: The first section describes the current status of this group. The salient issues entailed by their current status are identified in the second section. Methodologically, the study is primarily historical and preliminary: From the historical description we attempt to conceptualize the situation in terms which will facilitate more empirically oriented field research.