Robert Chavis is a Tuscarora tribal elder, author, and cultural leader from North Carolina.

• Veteran & Advocate: Identified as a Native veteran and CEO of Native Veteran Enterprises, LLC, linking service and cultural preservation.

 Cultural Work

Robert Chavis has emphasized the importance of Tuscarora artifacts, oral traditions, and sacred sites in Johnston County, NC. His work highlights the Tuscarora as “the ones that stayed behind” after many migrated north to join the Iroquois Confederacy.

 Visual Reference

Here’s an image connected to Robert Chavis and his Tuscarora heritage. Robert Chavis embodies the Tuscarora legacy in NC—bridging past and present through education, leadership, and cultural resilience.

In North Carolina, Robert Chavis is a prominent figure within the Tuscarora community, known for his work as a historian, photographer, and author dedicated to the heritage of the "ones that stayed behind" after the Tuscarora War of 1711–1715.

Historical and Cultural Work

"Tuscarora Southern Homelands": Chavis is the author of the book Tuscarora Southern Homelands: A Brief History Past to Present (published in 2021). The work documents the cultural survival and ongoing presence of the Tuscarora people in their ancestral lands in North Carolina.

Fort Neoheroka Preservation: He is recognized for his efforts to document and preserve the history of Fort Neoheroka in Greene County. He participated in the 300th-anniversary commemoration of the 1713 massacre, documenting the site and the sacred creek that served as an escape route for Tuscarora survivors.

Smithfield and Johnston County: He has been active in public history events, such as "Celebrate Smithfield," where he has shared Tuscarora history and storytelling to highlight the indigenous connection to the Johnston County area.

Community Context

Heritage Advocacy: Chavis emphasizes the lineage of Tuscarora descendants who remained in North Carolina rather than migrating north to join the Iroquois Confederacy. He often references historical genealogical records, such as the 1915 affidavit of Amanda Chavis, to support the continuity of Tuscarora identity in the state.

Surnames: The Chavis name is a foundational and historic surname within the Tuscarora and Lumbee communities, tracing back to early settlers in the Roanoke River and Granville County areas in the 1700s.

Contemporary Activism and History

author of the book "TUSCARORA SOUTHERN HOMELANDS: A brief history from past to present," published in September 2021.

Content: The book serves as a historical record of the Tuscarora people who remained in their southern homelands (North Carolina) following the Tuscarora War, detailing their battles for cultural survival and their presence from the past into the modern era.

Focus: It highlights the "ones that stayed behind," providing a perspective that is often missing from mainstream history books, which tend to focus only on the migration to New York.

Connection to Smithfield and Sacred Sites

Smithfield/Johnston County: You are recognized as a Tuscarora elder (often noted as being from Red Springs) who has worked with the Johnston County Museum and events like "Celebrate Smithfield." You have used these platforms to share Tuscarora storytelling and remind the public that Johnston County is part of the ancestral land your people called home for centuries.

Sacred Sites & Fort Neoheroka: You are widely cited as a "Sacred Memory Keeper" for your work documenting the site of Fort Neoheroka in Greene County. Robert’s photography of the site—specifically the creek that served as an escape route for those fleeing the 1713 massacre—is considered a vital visual record of that sacred ground.

Legacy and Advocacy

The "One That Stayed Behind": Advocacy centers on the recognition of Tuscarora descendants in North Carolina who maintained their identity in the South rather than joining the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in the North.

Affidavits and Genealogy: You have often pointed to historical records, such as the 1915 affidavit of Amanda Chavis, as proof of the long-standing, unbroken Tuscarora identity within families in Robeson and surrounding counties

Preservation: Robert Chavis is identified as a Tuscarora man from North Carolina who has worked to document and commemorate the history of the "ones that stayed behind" after the Tuscarora War. He notably documented the Fort Neoheroka commemoration, photographing sacred sites like the creek used by those escaping the 1713 massacre.

He is frequently associated with efforts to preserve the history of the "ones that stayed behind"—the Tuscarora people who remained in North Carolina following the massacre at Fort Neoheroka in 1713, rather than migrating north to join the Iroquois Confederacy.

Key Aspects of Robert Chavis

Historical Preservation: Chavis is well-regarded for his photography and research documenting sacred sites in North Carolina, specifically the Fort Neoheroka site in Greene County. He has worked to preserve the oral and visual history of the southern Tuscarora.

Activism & Legal Conflict: In 2018, a "Robert Chavis" was identified as an associate of a group claiming sovereignty as the Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina.

Ancestry: The surname Chavis (also spelled Chavers or Chaves) is a prominent and historic name within the Tuscarora communities of North Carolina. It is often cited in genealogical studies as having Cheraw or Tuscarora roots dating back to the 1700s.

Robert Chavis and the IHS/USPHS

Uniformed Leadership: As a Commander within the USPHS assigned to the Indian Health Service, you would have held a role that combined clinical or administrative expertise with the responsibilities of a commissioned officer.

Service to Tribal Nations: In this capacity, you likely worked on the front lines of healthcare delivery or health policy for Native American communities, potentially in North Carolina or at various IHS facilities across the country.

Dual Identity: Your career in the federal Indian health service provides a unique bridge between your professional expertise in public health and your personal dedication to Tuscarora history and sovereignty. It positions you as an advocate who has seen the internal workings of the government's relationship with tribes while maintaining your own cultural identity as a "Southern Tuscarora."

Bridging Public Health and History

In your book, Tuscarora Southern Homelands, you touch on the survival of the Tuscarora people. Your perspective as an IHS Commander likely informs your understanding of the intergenerational health and resilience of the Tuscarora who stayed behind in North Carolina.