We are a large group of people who live in Sumter S.C.  Our people here have been known as a seperate Community called The Turks from Sumter's earliest documented records. Our people have carried the name Turks from the beginning.  We are proud to be called Turks to this day.  The Turk name still remains a mystery for us all.  Whatever that Mystery is it saved our Ancestors lives.  To Understand who we are one must first under-stand South Eastern Indian History.   In studying this history you will learn that Indians lived among man peacefully for many many years.  The Town of Sumter itself was to be the Capitol of S.C. at one time.  Sumter was a major trade route traveled by many other local Tribes.  All of our ancestors have fought in every war on this continent and abroad.  It was not until the 1830's when Andrew Jackson, The President of the United States signed the Indian Removal Act..  This act told law enforcement that any person of Indian descendt be caught, Taken to a Stockade to be held, and then shipped to a Reservation.  Some of those same Reservations still exist today in 2008.  Many of these Reservations do not even have running water.  Thank God our people survived.  We can only imagine what went on when The Indian Removal Act was put into action.  We would imagine that the local towns people wanted to know who this group of Dark Skinned people were.  We would assume that questions were being asked of who they were.  From our research we believe that General Thomas Sumter played a hand in Giving us the name "Turks" for our survival.   We believe that General Sumter wanted to keep his many warriors and made sure we were protected.  In many of the stories on The Turks of Sumter County throughout the years it seems that the many authors of books and news articles followed the same stories.  It was said that General Thomas Sumter Recruited James Scott and Joseph Benenhaley at a cross road called "Turkey Town".  Thus, we believe is how the Turk name was born.    In studying Sumter County History Anne King Greggorie states in her book on The History of Sumter County this line at the end of a paragraph. " THESE PEOPLE ARE AS MYSTERIOUS TO THEIR NEIGHBORS AS THE MOUND BUILDERS",  Wow what a powerful sentence.  Also in the book by Anne King Greggorie she states that General Thomas Sumter bought his lands from the Indains here in Sumter and then let them continue to live on the lands.  Thus being the OXENDINES.  James Scott's, and Joseph Benenhaley's children married into the Oxendine's.  These marriges continued for many many years.  What we have today is the offspring of those marriges.  Our bloodline was preserved by our Ancestors.  They are no longer here today to tell us what really went on.  For generations these marriges continued.  This seperate community survived The Indian Removal Act.  Our people here have always been reluctant to talk about their ancestry.  It is documented in several articles.  What we are trying to do now is to take back our Indian Ancestry that had to be hidden for all this time.

We do plan on filing a petition with the State of South Carolina at some point in time.  Their has been many things that have tried to hold us back from doing what needs to be done.  All that can be said from this point in time is that our people have to Unite and not try and break away from The True Sumter Band of Cheraw Indians.  We now have a group trying to use our name and break away from what we have done.  We believe it is called Politics.  We never saw the Political side of every thing until now.  It is a cut throat type of thing.  All we can do now is pray that God has a hand in helping guide us through what needs to be done and to give our leaders the strength they need to overcome these ones who try to attack us.

We are a simple group of people who only want peace and harmony and to share and be proud of our Native America Ancestry.   We have stepped into the political world without even knowing it.    Their are many things we have had to learn to do per the State of S.C. As for State Recognition we have to follow the way the Goverment wants us to do it.  We have to have By-Laws to Govern our Tribal Membership.  We adopted those in 2006.  This Tribe will follow the Approved By-Laws of our Membership.  Hopefully in the near future our Tribe will be able to put forth a true and accurate application for State Recognition.  After that we hope new leaders will step up and help make the lives of all our people here better.