Native Americans of the Southeast didn't live in teepees, wear huge feathered war bonnets, nor did many of them have long, dark hair, black eyes and caramel complexions.

They didn't yell war whoops while embarking on murderous rampages as often depicted in Hollywood films, but were an ingenious, self-sufficient population whose roots were grounded in a respect for God and his creation.

"We're trying to undo what has been done. A lot of damage has been done to Native Americans by television alone. A lot of what we do today is called 'coming out of the closet,'" Croatan Chief Ricky Running Wolf Bruner said.

Dressed in full regalia , Bruner and four members of the Croatan Indian Tribe gathered at Morningside Assisted Living Center to give seniors a glimpse into their ancestors' lifestyle and culture. A peace pipe, turtle shells which were used as rattlers, clay bowls and a tomahawk made of black obsidian were among the display of handmade items which seniors could observe.

A Southeastern long bow, handmade from raw osage and covered with water moccasin hide by John Ross, a direct descendant of Chief John Ross of the Cherokee Nation, was also among the items which Bruner explained to the inquisitive group.

Unlike Western tribes, the Southeastern Indians lived in two- to three-story long-houses which could house hundreds of people. Bruner said these houses were nothing like teepees; they were up to 60 feet wide and 200 feet long, with the bottom portion used as living quarters and the upper story used as a storage area for items including canoes, paddles and blankets.

Bruner said the Croatan Indian Tribe is presently trying to create its own palisaded village, much like a 225-year-old "living village" in North Carolina, where a Native American group lives and conducts tours while teaching about the history of their population.

"That's our dream, that's what we're looking at," Bruner said. The tribe is also planning its third annual Native American Gathering at the Orangeburg County Fairgrounds later this year. The chief stressed that it is not a pow-wow, which carries a negative connotation of a playful festival; the gathering is a time for tribes to come together to share their history and "get back to the old traditions, ways and means."

Sage, cedar, tobacco and fragrant sweetgrass were the four sacred herbs which Southeastern tribes used to purify and cleanse themselves and their surroundings. Bruner said the herbs were not abused, but were smoked or spread around as a way to "remove all negativity." The tribes are sometimes wrongfully associated with cults, but the use of herbs was out of respect for God, Bruner said.

"That's what it was about: purity and cleansing. Everything we did, we did it for our Creator," the chief said.

The multi-purpose tomahawk was not only used as a weapon, but was also used to cut food, vines, hides and other items. Gourds were used as dippers, spoons and filled with beans and peas for use as rattlers on dance sticks.

"We threw nothing away," Bruner said, who along with tribal member Tony Chavis, played the ceremonial drum near the end of their presentation. Chants and songs, including honor songs in tribute to veterans, are sung around the sacred drum, but no drinking, smoking, eating or profanity are allowed around it.

"It's like our little cathedral, and we want to honor it," Bruner said.

The Croatan Indian Tribe is part of a Native American ad hoc group, which meets approximately once a month with the S.C. Commission on Minority Affairs in a quest to gain state recognition. He said the tribe is not allowed to sell deer hide or hooves, nor can they sell feathers from birds of prey. These are ancestral rights which Bruner said the tribe should have and want back.

The non-profit group has earned 501-C3 recognition and opened its Dream Catcher tribal craft store on Russell Street on Feb. 19. He said the tribe holds yard sales and bake sales among its fundraising efforts. All money raised is sent to a tribal account and helps with tribal and non-tribal members' expenses.

Morningside resident Alethia Worthy said she enjoyed the tribe's presentation.

"I liked the frankness of it and the fact that they did have things arranged in order. Sometimes we have people come in and they're so disorderly that we don't know what they're doing. This was pretty orderly, and they seemed to have known what they wanted to say and did it well. I appreciated it very much," she said.

T&D Staff Writer Dionne Gleaton can be reached by e-mail at dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5534.

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