Priscilla Freeman Jacobs
by Dr. Patricia B. Lerch * (in collaboration with Priscilla Freeman Jacobs)
Priscilla Freeman Jacobs (b. 1940) led the
Waccamaw-Siouan, a state-recognized
American Indian tribe, from 1986 through
early 2005. During that time, she represented her
tribe at many civic affairs and presented educational
programs about the traditions and culture of her
people. When the position of chief came open fol¬
lowing the death of her father Clifton Freeman
(1919-1985), Jacobs's brothers encouraged her to
accept this leadership role, since she had worked
alongside their father for many years. Thus she
became the first woman in the twentieth century to
hold the position of chief in her tribe. How did she
learn the skills and values of leadership?
Jacobs grew up in a traditional Indian family in
the Ricefield area of the modern Waccamaw-Siouan
community, which is situated on the edge of the
Green Swamp about thirty-seven miles from
Wilmington. For five generations, the men of her
family made a living in the "woods work" of log¬
ging and forestry. The women kept house, tended
the gardens, and helped their menfolk raise cows,
pigs, and chickens to feed their
families. The rural lifestyle
promoted the values of co¬
operation, hard work, respect
for elders, and obedience.
Jacobs was educated in the
American Indian schools that
her grandfather W. J. Freeman
and great-uncle R. T. Freeman
convinced Columbus County
officials to open during their
years as tribal chiefs
(1920s— 1960s). The Indian
schools taught basic literacy,
mathematics, history, and
respect for Indian heritage.
After graduation from the
Waccamaw Indian School, she
completed a secretarial course
at Miller Mott Business
College of Wilmington and
put her skills to work in her
father's logging business. In
Priscilla Freeman Jacobs’s inauguration as chief of the Waccamaw-Siouan took
place in 1986 at Frontier Fort. Pictured with her are Chief James Jacobs of the
Cumberland Count}’ Association for Indian People and James D. Brewington of
the Coharie tribe. Image courtesy of Priscilla Freeman jacobs.
1961 she married Wei ton Jacobs, who is also
Waccamaw-Siouan. They have two children, four
grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Priscilla Jacobs's inauguration as chief was held
at Frontier Fort near Wilmington in 1986. She fol¬
lowed in the footsteps of her grandfather, great-
uncle, and father when she accepted this duty. And
preserving Indian heritage involved many sacrifices
and hours of hard work. When still a small child,
Jacobs listened to community elders assembled at
her grandfather's house on Sunday afternoons dis¬
cussing issues of Indian education. Although some
counties in North Carolina did fund separate
schools for Indians, Priscilla's county did not. Many
Indians wanted separate schools in order to educate
their children about their heritage. Priscilla's grand¬
fathers — W. J. Freeman and Alec Patrick — and great-
uncle R. T. Freeman and others worked hard to
attain these schools for their children. By 1949 they
sought federal support and asked the U.S. Congress
to pass the Waccamaw Bill, which would grant
them federal acknowledgment as an Indian tribe.
Jacobs, who was only nine years old at the time,
journeyed to Washington, D.C., with the community
delegation to present the case to Congress. The
Congress favored terminating federal responsibili-
Priscilla Freeman Jacobs and her
father attend a Coalition for Eastern
Mative Americans event in 1973. Image
courtesy of Priscilla Freeman jacobs.
THjH. Fall 2005
■Dr. Patricia
В
Lerch is a professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University
of North Carolina at Wilmington. In 2004 the University of Alabama Press published her
book Waccamaw Legacy: Contemporary Indians Fight for Survival. She has worked
with the Waccamaw-Siouan as a researcher, while the tribe has fought for recognition
