Welcome to Combee Heritage Organization
Dedicated to preserving the history, genealogy, and cultural heritage of the Combahee, Salkehatchie, and Edisto communities.
We bridge the past and the present by honoring the resilient stories of our ancestors. Through education and communal storytelling, we ensure that the vibrant spirit of our heritage thrives for generations to come, fostering a deep sense of belonging and pride. Our vision is to build a permanent historical archive that preserves the stories of the Afro-Indigenous or Black Indian communities of the Combahee, Salkehatchie, and Edisto regions.
The Preservation of History
OUR VISION
Our vision is to build a permanent historical archive that preserves the stories of the Afro-Indigenous or Black Indian communities of the Combahee, Salkehatchie, and Edisto regions.
Heritage & History
Featured Research
The Forgotten History of Indian Slavery
The Black Indian Communities
Understanding Mustee Records
FPOC Brass Ankle Communities
Our Story
The Combahee River Corridor was originally populated by the Combahee Cusabo, Ashepoo, Salkehatchie Yamasee, and Pocotaligo Yamasee peoples. After the Yamasee War, these nations and their allies—including the Apalachee, Lower Creeks, and Shawnee—were taken as prisoners of war, captured, and enslaved on their own land. Many men were sent to the Caribbean, while women and children were held as chattel slaves on Lowcountry plantations. We are their descendants.
Indian slavery was central to the making of South Carolina, lasting far longer than is usually told. Archival wills and records demonstrate that Indian slavery continued well into the late 18th and 19th centuries, revealing a persistent and widespread history that shaped the region.
The Indian slave trade was fueled by campaigns and raids led by figures such as Andrew Williamson against the Lower and Cherokee peoples, John Barnwell against the Tuscarora, James Moore against the Timucua and Apalachee, and the early capture of Kusso peoples.
Our research explores the historical relationships between descendant communities and Indigenous nations including the Combahee, Cusabo, Yamasee, Apalachee, Tuscarora, Lower Creek, Cherokee, and others whose lives became intertwined through colonial warfare, enslavement, migration, and survival. Mustees and Brass Ankles are descendants of these communities, often labeled as ‘mulatto’ or ‘mustee’ in colonial records, reflecting generations of Afro-Indigenous kinship in the Lowcountry.
Become a part of Combee Heritage Organization
Join our mission to preserve and honor the storied heritage of our communities. We invite you to contribute your time, voice, and history to our collective journey.
Become a member
Volunteer
Donate records
Share oral histories