Santee Indian Organization
Official logo of the Santee Indian Organization | |
| Named after | Santee people Santee River |
|---|---|
| Formation | October 6, 1975 |
| Type | state-recognized tribe, nonprofit organization |
| Headquarters | Holly Hill, SC |
| Location |
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| Membership | 600 (2006) |
Official language | English |
| Leader | Eric Pratt |
Formerly called | Santee Indian Tribe of South Carolina |
The Santee Indian Organization or Santee Indian Tribe is a state-recognized tribe and nonprofit organization headquartered in Holly Hill, South Carolina. The state of South Carolina awarded the organization the state-recognized tribe designation under the SC Code Section 1-31-40 (A) (7)(10), Statutory Authority Chapter 139 (100–110) on January 27, 2006. Since having obtained state-recognition the tribe remains federally unrecognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Members of the Santee Indian Organization are descendants of the White Oak Indian Community, a historically documented isolated multi-tribal population of indigenous people located in eastern Orangeburg County, South Carolina. The tribe predominantly identifies its lineage from the historic Santee and Pedee people of South Carolina, with some members also claiming Cherokee heritage in addition to connections to other Lowcountry tribes due to recent intermarriages.