Lora Kay Oxendine-Taylor

An Indigenous Origin – The Maskoki Cheraw Connection unveils a deeply researched and long-overlooked history of the Lumbee Tribe’s ancestral connection to the Cheraw people. Drawing on fourteen years of meticulous research, LK Oxendine uncovers historical records, maps, treaties, and cultural narratives that restore a suppressed identity erased by centuries of denial, displacement, and political marginalization.

From the ancient Maskoki territories to the arrival of Spanish, French, and British forces, this compelling account traces the Lumbee Cheraw’s journey through survival, cultural preservation, and the ongoing struggle for recognition. Oxendine’s work honors the voices of ancestors, the strength of matrilineal societies, and the unbreakable ties between people and land.

Part memoir, part ethnographic history, this book invites readers to witness the truth long hidden in archives and oral traditions, truth that affirms an honorable Indigenous heritage and demands acknowledgment in the twenty-first century.

If you are drawn to Indigenous history, identity reclamation, and the untold stories of the American Southeast, An Indigenous Origin – The Maskoki Cheraw Connection is an essential read.

Additional Information
416 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | Paperback