The Coharie Tribe

 

The Coharie tribe, and the rest of the North Carolinian tribes, is much smaller than the Cherokee and the Lumbee. The Coharie are descendants of the Neusiok tribe that have moved to Harnett and Sampson Counties (Commission of Indian Affairs, 2014). Their community is centered on their church activities, and religion is a huge part of their lives (Coharie, 2014d). As their official website states, Church is where their “elders are honored, families interact, and social rules are enforced” (Coharie, 2014d).

The Coharie are unique in North Carolina because they emphasize using more traditional Native American names along with their present day names (Coharie, 2014a). For example, the Chief is known as “Two Feathers”. A Tribal council governs the Coharie tribe, just as the other tribes. The Coharie Intra-Tribal Council, Inc. is made up of 7 members elected from the community (Coharie, 2014a). They hold monthly board meetings posted on their website (Coharie, 2014d). The Coharie hold many community meetings and senior events as well (Coharie, 2014b). They also have a yearly two-day powwow on their tribal grounds, which also involves a motorcycle ride aiming to honor war veterans in their community (Coharie, 2014c).