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In the tradition of their elders, members of the Croatan Indian Tribe offered a prayer of thanks to Father Sky and Mother Earth in celebration of a dream come true.

The Orangburg-based tribe had long envisioned a plan that would help preserve and teach the public about Native American history and culture while creating jobs and tourism within the city, county and state.

The tribe's months of planning and labor blossomed into reality Thursday during a groundbreaking ceremony for the first of a three-part project to develop a culture center, living village and full-scale Native American museum.

"This is a great day for us. A lot of us have struggled hard as we've dreamed and wanted this for a long time. It's not only just for us; this is for our next seven generations," Croatan Indian Chief Ricky Running Wolf Bruner said.

Local political leaders and community and tribal members joined Bruner at the groundbreaking ceremony at the 57-acre site off Lake Edisto Drive.

"This is a permanent structure ... that will house a lot of our ancestors' artifacts, clothing, regalia and works of art. We also hope to start a multicultural center in the near future, adding other groups to come in and do demonstrations," Bruner said. "Eventually, I'd like to conduct a Native American film festival at least once a year."

The culture center would also be a place for schools to bring their classes for hands-on projects and history lessons about the Croatan and other tribes across the state.

A more-than-$15,000 anonymous donation is among the financial support the tribe has received to build the center. Yard sales, a celebrity auction and plans for the third annual Native American Gathering at the Orangeburg County Fair Grounds in November are other ways the tribe plans to generate funds.

Bruner said the center will be built "in the next two to three months."

"We probably won't get everything in it until ... March or April because I'm writing some grants now. We still have a little bit of money to work with, " he said, adding that the tribe has already found artifacts from what may have been a tribal village from thousands of years ago. Some of the artifacts were displayed at the groundbreaking.

Bird points, spear parts, a stone drill and shards of pottery, some of which were decorated, have been found at the site. "We also found some parts of shell, meaning they either were working with shell or eating some type of shellfish. It was probably used for ear spoons which were elongated and decorated to hang on their ear. They would also use abalone shells for decorations," Bruner said.

State archeologists will be coming in to help locate and unearth other artifacts at the site, which will include an overnight camp site, the chief said.

"We're going to hopefully put in some mini huts and have Boy Scouts and other different organizations and groups that have youth programs to come and spend the weekend with us," Bruner said.

Michael Ironhorse is leader of Boy Scout Troop #518 of Lexington County's Red Bank Community. The troop's volunteer service at the site has included clearing trails. Nazareth Lutheran Church in Lexington County is the troop's sponsor.

"I'm a little bit Cherokee and a little bit Catawba, so my heart goes out to our native people. I'm very honored to be assisting. This is just so special to me and my boys. Working together is what it's all about," said Ironhouse, who was especially proud of scout Charles Big Bear Miller. The 17-year-old is approximately eight months away from earning his Eagle Scout badge.

Miller, of the Muskogee Creek Indian Tribe, said he had no reservations about dedicating his service to the project because "this is my culture."

Native, arts, crafts, clothes and memorabilia from tribes across the state are among the items to be housed in the proposed museum.

"South Carolina does not at the moment have a full-scale Native American museum. We have historical museums, and then we'll have a little bit of pottery and artifacts with no one there who knows the history of it, or even what Indians it actually came from," Bruner said.

He said students studying Native American history and culture at Columbia College and South Carolina State University are among the tribe's approximately 150 members. Bruner said the tribe's cultural center, museum and living village will be a source of full-time employment for members.

A living village is a palisaded structure, much like a 225-year-old "living village" in North Carolina, where a Native American group lives and conducts tours while teaching their history.

"People will be out here at all times. People can actually walk around and see how pottery and baskets are being made. We'll then have some projects where they can actually come in and work on a project themselves to carry something home with them," Bruner said.

Orangeburg County Council members Janie Cooper and Clyde Livingston offered words of encouragement and support to the tribe.

"It gives me pleasure to welcome you to the restoration of your heritage," Cooper said.

Livingston said the center will be a vital tourist site and is indicative of the county's multicultural community.

"We're all getting along in peace and that puts us much above the rest of the world. This is a great day for us," he 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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