The Creation of an Innovative People

The Creation of an Innovative People: 1700-1887 establishes the historical foundation of the American Indian families of Robeson County, North Carolina, whose identity developed outside formal recognition. Drawing from oral tradition, land records, census data, military service files, and early colonial sources, this volume traces the emergence of a distinct people shaped by Native, European, and colonial intersections.

Beginning with early migration patterns and settlement, the narrative introduces the cultural question, "Whose your people?" as the primary system of identity, kinship, and belonging. Book I documents fourteen foundational families-including the Lowries, Locklears, Oxendines, Brooks, Swetts, Hunts, Chavers, Grahams, and Cummings-revealing how land ownership, intermarriage, faith, and survival defined life along the Lumber River.

This volume restores historical context and continuity, laying the groundwork for understanding how an innovative and resilient community formed despite displacement, conflict, and misclassification. Book I serves as the cornerstone of the series, preserving origins and identity.