🌍 Undoing the Division: The Powerful Indigenous Legacy of the Freeman Family Lineage Findyatribe.org Exclusive

A recent deep dive into the ancestral records of the Freeman family—prominent in the historic Cape Fear region of North Carolina—is challenging centuries of colonial narratives. The research, presented by the Wide Awake Radio (W.A.R.) program, offers a compelling, documented view of the interconnected indigenous communities that survived and thrived despite efforts to divide them based on skin color and classification.

This article summarizes the findings, which reveal an unbroken legacy of leadership, land ownership, and kinship stretching back to the earliest known tribal leaders.

🌊 From Seabreeze to Sovereignty: A History Interwoven

The journey begins in Seabreeze, North Carolina, a historic resort area where community elders recall a vibrant hub of Black and Native American businesses, cultural life, and resilience.

> "The Pier still left remnants of it... in my day that was a two-story pier, dance hall, and a restaurant downstairs..."

> — Community Elder, Seabreeze, NC

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Elders shared stories of the two-story pier and even the surprising origin of the "shag" dance, noting that local youth would observe and mimic the energetic styles of the "colored folks" at Seabreeze—a testament to the area's undeniable cultural influence.

This coastal heritage quickly leads to the core of the genealogical research: the enduring strength of the indigenous bloodlines throughout the Cape Fear region (Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, and Robeson counties).

💔 The Colonial Illusion: Separating What Ancestors Wove Together

The research highlights a critical cultural truth: for hundreds of years, local families—including the Freemans, Jacobs, Mitchells, and Grahams—intermarried extensively for survival, kinship, and continuity.

The key challenge to modern identity is the result of colonialism, which didn't just steal land, but actively worked to sever memory. This led to internalized colorism, creating false distinctions like "black Grams" and "Indian Grams" within the same bloodlines.

The presentation makes a powerful distinction that is crucial for all people researching their roots:

> Genetics doesn't lie, colonial narratives do. Skin tone differences inside native communities do not mean different tribes or races. They mean the survival of an indigenous people under hundreds of years of pressure.

>

📜 Abraham Freeman Sr.: Chieftain and Landholder

The genealogical centerpiece of the presentation is Chieftain Abraham Freeman Sr. (1730–1819).

* A Prominent Leader: He is documented in the 1763 Bladen County Census as a "free person of color" and was known by 1771 as "free Abe". His chieftain status confirms his authority over not only the Freemans but the broader network of indigenous families in the region.

* Wakusa's Lineage: Abraham Freeman is strongly linked through land inheritance to Chief Wakusa, believed to be one of the earliest indigenous leaders in the area.

* Legacy of Land and Education: Abraham’s descendants, notably his great-grandson Robert Bruce Freeman, acquired nearly 2,500 acres of land in New Hanover County and even donated land in 1877 for a school for Black and indigenous children.

👑 The Unbroken Chain of Waccamaw Siouan Leadership

The most compelling proof of the family’s indigenous continuity is found in their generational leadership within the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe. The Freeman lineage has produced multiple chiefs across the 20th and 21st centuries:

* William James Freeman: The first elected chief of the tribe.

* Clifton Freeman: Served as chief from 1941 to 1985.

* Priscilla Freeman Jacobs: Daughter of Clifton and the first female chief of the tribe.

🧬 An Ancestral Vault: Connecting Continents

Adding to the complexity and depth of the lineage, YDNA markers from the male Freeman line show connections far beyond the Cape Fear region. While strongly rooted locally, the markers also trace to the Green Swamp area, as well as:

* Northeast Africa (Egypt, Israel)

* Kuwait and Iraq

* Colombia, South America

This DNA evidence reinforces the notion that one’s ancestry is not linear but an "ancestral vault," connecting them to a global indigenous river of heritage.

In Summary: The Freeman family story is a powerful reminder that kinship and cultural memory can be reclaimed. By stripping away colonial labels and challenging internalized divisions, researchers are helping to make the truth whole again, one ancestor at a time.

Would you like to explore resources for tracing indigenous lineage in the Cape Fear region?

​You can view the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DpaQBcLdgo.

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