GOOSE CREEK, S.C. — The Wassamasaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians unveiled its third historical marker on August 2, honoring the legacy of the Etiwan people in the region.
The marker, titled “Etiwan Village,” was placed outside Howe Hall AIMS Elementary School. It commemorates the history of the Etiwan, ancestors of today’s Wassamasaw Tribe, who were resettled in Goose Creek following European colonization.
By 1685, the Etiwan were relocated from Ittiwan Island, now known as Daniel Island, to Goose Creek. Records show a village of about 240 Etiwan people existed there by 1710. In 1721, the South Carolina Commons House of Assembly granted the tribe land near Wassamasaw Swamp. Over time, the Etiwan intermarried with neighboring tribes, including the Edisto, Cherokee, and Catawba, eventually forming the Summerville Indian community near Carnes Crossroads.
Later identified as the Varnertown Indians, the community was acknowledged by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the 1970s but did not receive federal recognition. The State of South Carolina formally recognized the Wassamasaw Tribe in 2005. Federal recognition efforts continue today, with legislation currently pending before Congress.
The project was supported by local historian Keith Gourdin, founder of the Berkeley North Historical and Cultural Association, who previously worked with the tribe on a historical marker at Governors Park on Daniel Island.
The unveiling ceremony was led by Wassamasaw Tribe Chief Lisa Collins. The event also highlighted the broader mission of the tribe: preserving cultural identity, reclaiming Indigenous spaces, and ensuring Native voices remain a visible part of South Carolina’s history.
